National Highway Traffic Safety Administration July 29, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of two petitions for a decision that 2005 Mercedes Benz Type 463 Short Wheel Base (SWB) Gelaendewagen Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles (MPVs) that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all such standards.

This final rule amends the agency's National Driver Register (NDR) regulations to implement new reporting requirements mandated by the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (MCSIA). MCSIA amended the NDR Act to require that a State, before issuing or renewing a motor vehicle operator's license, must verify an individual's eligibility to receive a license through informational checks of both the NDR and the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS). The final rule amends the NDR regulations to reflect this statutory change. The final rule also provides an updated listing of the NDR reporting codes in the Appendix to reflect the codes that should be implemented by participating States by September 30, 2005. The final rule clarifies that pointer records reported to the NDR must only regard individuals who have been convicted or whose license has been denied, canceled, revoked, or suspended for one of the offenses identified in the Appendix. Finally, the final rule adds a definition for the term ``employers or prospective employers of motor vehicle operators.''