Submitted by: Vehicle Crimes Committee

VCC.16.t2018

WHEREAS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was established pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30502; and

WHERAS, the purpose of NMVTIS is to assist in efforts to protect private and commercial consumers and states from vehicle crimes and provide consumer protection from unsafe vehicles and information obtained from NMVTIS also serves to deter the use of stolen vehicles to fund criminal activity and enterprises; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is responsible for oversight of the NMVTIS program and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) serves as the NMVTIS operator; and

WHEREAS, under federal law, NMVTIS system operations is intended to be self-sustaining and AAMVA continues to explore opportunities to support system financial sustainability. Currently, NMVTIS contains 95% of the U.S. motor vehicle agency data required to be provided; and

WHEREAS, NMVTIS is to serve as a repository of information related to vehicles in the possession of auto recyclers, junk yards, salvage yards, and insurance carriers. This is known as junk yard, salvage yard, and insurance carrier (JSI) NMVTIS data; and

WHEREAS, this information is used by states and consumers to ensure junk or salvage vehicles are not reintroduced into the market, enhancing public safety.  This also serves to deter the use of vehicle identification numbers (VIN’s) from junk or salvage vehicles from being used on stolen vehicles and sold to unsuspecting buyers; and

WHEREAS, JSI NMVTIS reporting compliance enforcement is important to ensure system integrity and for the deterrence of aforementioned vehicle crimes; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is responsible for investigating complaints of failing to comply with JSI NMVTIS reporting.  Civil penalties for non- compliance may be assessed up to $1,000 per violation; and

WHEREAS, BJA maintains an NMVTIS awareness campaign to promote JSI NMVTIS reporting compliance which includes: mailings, webinars, advertisements, and presentations at industry

conferences. However, when voluntary compliance for JSI NMVTIS reporting is not successful, BJA may impose and collect civil penalties as provided for in 49 U.S.C. 30505; and

WHEREAS, this committee understands the limited resources, BJA is restricted in its ability to provide NMVTIS oversight and enforcement efforts; and

WHEREAS, this may result in junk or salvage vehicles being put back on the roadway undetected, thereby jeopardizing the lives of the operator and others on the roadway; and

WHEREAS, this may also reduce the ability of stolen vehicles to be recovered by the reusing of VIN’s from junk or salvage vehicles; and

WHEREAS, civil penalties assessed and recovered by BJA are not maintained by BJA for program operation but are sent on to the U.S. Treasury General Fund. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls on the United States Congress in supporting a change of law to allow these civil penalties to be used by BJA for NMVTIS oversight and enforcement compliance.