[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S1143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-14. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Camden, New Jersey, relative to the impeachment of the 
     President of the United States; ordered to lie on the table.
       POM-15. A resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners 
     of the Humbolt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation 
     District, Eureka, California, relative to proposed 
     infrastructure rebuilding legislation; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.
       POM-16. A resolution adopted by the Council of the Town of 
     Grundy, Virginia, relative to steel and coke exports; to the 
     Committee on Finance.
       POM-17. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey; ordered to be printed and to lie on the 
     table.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 166

       Whereas, the establishment of high occupancy vehicle 
     (``HOV'') lane restrictions on Interstate Highway Route No. 
     287 (``I-287'') was intended as a means of promoting car 
     pooling in an effort to improve the State's air quality; and
       Whereas, the number of eligible vehicles that use the HOV 
     lanes on I-287 has not come close to meeting the State's 
     expected projections for land usage, which shows that the HOV 
     lane restrictions have not had the effect of encouraging car 
     pooling at satisfactory levels; and
       Whereas, because of the HOV lane restrictions on I-287, a 
     much larger number of citizens who use the non-restricted 
     lanes of that highway are subjected to frequent heavy traffic 
     situations, which result in high costs in fuel burned and 
     hourly wages lost, while the overall levels of air pollution 
     and noise increase, all of which represent a severe reduction 
     in the quality of life of those citizens; and
       Whereas, since a considerable amount of effort is used by 
     the State Police in enforcing the HOV lane restrictions on I-
     287, the availability of the State Police in combating other 
     motor vehicle-related crimes on other highways of this State 
     is diminished; and
       Whereas, it is appropriate for this House to express this 
     policy to protect the citizens of this State who are 
     adversely affected by excessive automobile, bus and truck 
     traffic as a result of the HOV lane restrictions; and
       Whereas, it is altogether fitting and proper that the 
     Legislature memorialize Congress to enact Congresswoman 
     Roukema's amendment to H.R. 4328 which would require the 
     United States Secretary of Transportation to waive repayment 
     of any Federal-aid highway funds expended on the construction 
     of HOV lanes on I-287 if the New Jersey Commissioner of 
     Transportation assures the Secretary that the removal of HOV 
     lane restrictions on I-287 is in the public interest; now, 
     therfore, be it
       RESOLVED by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. The Congress of the United States is respectfully 
     memorialized to enact Congresswoman Roukema's amendment to 
     H.R. 4328 which would require the United States Secretary of 
     Transportation to waive repayment of any Federal-aid highway 
     funds expended on the construction of high occupancy vehicle 
     (``HOV'') lanes on Interstate Highway Route 287 if the New 
     Jersey Commissioner of Transportation assures the Secretary 
     that the removal of HOV lane restrictions on Interstate Route 
     287 is in the public interest.
       2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by 
     the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk 
     thereof, shall be transmitted to the President of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the New Jersey Commissioner of 
     Transportation, the United States Secretary of 
     Transportation, and each member of Congress from the State of 
     New Jersey.
                                  ____

       POM-18. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 119

       Whereas, the U.S. Department of Transportation, pursuant to 
     the 1996 Immigration Reform Act, has proposed regulations 
     requiring states to follow federal guidelines in producing 
     and issuing drivers' licenses; and
       Whereas, these regulations would mandate that all states 
     collect and verify the social security numbers of licensed 
     drivers and that these numbers be placed on the licenses of 
     these drivers in a form that is electronically readable, 
     unless the state explicitly prohibits this practice; and
       Whereas, these regulations would further allow the federal 
     government to dictate the acceptable evidence and 
     documentation of identity required to obtain a state driver's 
     license; and
       Whereas, these regulations would impose a significant cost 
     burden on New Jersey by requiring the reformatting of its 
     driver's license and the establishment of an electronic 
     verification system with the Social Security Administration; 
     and
       Whereas, the placement of social security numbers on New 
     Jersey driver's licenses, unless a law expressly prohibiting 
     this practice is enacted, raises serious concerns about the 
     security of the personal information of this State's drivers 
     in an era when ``identity theft'' and other breaches of 
     privacy are on the increase; and
       Whereas, these regulations would impose an unfunded federal 
     mandate on the states that promises to far exceed, in total, 
     the maximum $100 million permitted under the Unfunded Mandate 
     Reform Act of 1994 and, contrary to the provisions of that 
     act, have been put forth without ``timely and meaningful 
     input'' from state elected officials or their national 
     organizations, according to the National Council of State 
     Legislatures; and
       Whereas, by proposing these regulations to implement a 
     provision of the Immigration Reform Act, the U.S. Department 
     of Transportation is, in effect, seeking to federalize the 
     production and issuance of driver's licenses, functions which 
     heretofore have remained in the domain of the states; now, 
     therefore be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. That this House respectfully petitions the Congress of 
     the United States to prevent this costly and unnecessary 
     intrusion on the prerogatives of the states to produce and 
     issue drivers' licenses in keeping with the dictates of their 
     citizens by repealing Section 656(b) of the Immigration 
     Reform Act of 1996, which the proposed Department of 
     Transportation regulations are intended to implement.
       2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by 
     the Speaker and attested by the Clerk, shall be transmitted 
     to the Vice President of the United States and the Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives and to each member of Congress 
     elected from this State.

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