[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9058-9059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3481]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27357]


Commercial Driver's License Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meetings of advisory committee.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule for the meetings of the 
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Advisory Committee. Pursuant to 
section 4135 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the 
Secretary of Transportation established this advisory committee to 
study and address current impediments and foreseeable challenges to the 
commercial driver's license program's effectiveness and measures needed 
to realize the full safety potential of the commercial driver's license 
program. Members of the advisory committee will include State motor 
vehicle administrators, organizations representing government agencies 
or officials, members of the Judicial Conference, representatives of 
the trucking industry, representatives of labor organizations, safety 
advocates, and other significant stakeholders.

DATES: Meetings of the committee will take place on the following 
dates:

Meeting 1: March 20-22, 2007
Meeting 2: April 17-19, 2007
Meeting 3: May 15-17, 2007

ADDRESSES: The committee's meetings will be held at the Hilton 
Arlington, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lloyd E. Goldsmith, Transportation 
Specialist, CDL Division, at (202) 366-2964 ([email protected]), 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 
8310, Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 10, 2005, the President signed 
into law the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation 
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59, 119 Stat.1144). 
Section 4135 mandates the establishment of a Commercial Driver's 
License (CDL) Task Force to study and address current impediments and 
foreseeable challenges to the commercial driver's license program's 
effectiveness and measures needed to realize the full safety potential 
of the commercial driver's license program. The CDL program was 
established by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (CMVSA) of 1986 
and is codified at 49 U.S.C. Chapter 313.
    To carry out this requirement, FMCSA formed an advisory committee, 
consistent with the standards of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(FACA). See 71 FR 69605, December 1, 2006. The notice requested 
applications from persons interested in serving as members of the CDL 
Advisory Committee not later than January 2, 2007. The applications 
received by the due date have been evaluated and membership 
recommendations made to the Secretary of Transportation who will 
appoint members of the committee.
    The statutory timetable for this effort is short. Section 4132 of 
the SAFETEA-LU specifies that not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act (e.g., by August 10, 2007), the Secretary, on 
behalf of the task force, shall complete a report of findings and 
recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and enforcement changes to 
improve the commercial drivers license program and submit the report to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives. To meet this deadline, FMCSA will conduct a very 
compressed schedule of Committee meetings. The FMCSA has scheduled 
three meetings on the following dates:

Meeting 1: March 20-22, 2007
Meeting 2: April 17-19, 2007
Meeting 3: May 15-17, 2007

    The meetings of the committee are open to the public. Attendance 
will be limited by the size of the meeting room. As a general matter, 
the committee will make one hour available for public comments on the 
Thursday of each

[[Page 9059]]

meeting (March 22 April 19, and May 17) from 1-2 p.m. Individuals 
wishing to address the committee should sign up on the public comment 
sign-in sheet before 11:30 a.m. The time available will be reasonably 
divided among those who have signed up, but no one will have more than 
15 minutes. Written comments and reports can be given to the 
facilitator for distribution to the committee members. Persons wanting 
to present written materials to the committee should make enough copies 
for the 15 committee members and the facilitator.
    The agenda topics for the meetings will include, but not 
necessarily be limited to, discussion of the following issues:
    1. State enforcement practices;
    2. Operational procedures to detect and deter fraud;
    3. Needed improvements for seamless information sharing between 
States;
    4. Effective methods for accurately sharing electronic data between 
States;
    5. Adequate proof of citizenship;
    6. Updated technology; and
    7. Timely notification from judicial bodies concerning traffic and 
criminal convictions of commercial driver's license holders.
    The agenda topics presented in this notice are necessarily very 
general since the direction and nature of the advisory committee 
discussions will shape each subsequent meeting. The DOT may issue 
additional notices, as needed, with respect to changes in the schedule 
or agenda topics.

    Issued on February 21, 2007.
Rose A. McMurray,
Assistant Administrator, Chief Safety Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-3481 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
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