SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

Jim Burch, acting director of the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, told Saturday's Detroit News he will discuss progress in the program, which has been under development for 17 years, next week at the auto show in Washington.

Burch told the newspaper the Justice Department has given $22 million in grants to states to help them comply with the requirements of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, created by Congress in 1992. Under the planned system, car buyers will be protected from fraudsters who produce "cloned" titles for vehicles bought as salvage or scrap in one state, but retitled in another state with a different designation.

The newspaper said federal officials have entered 77 percent of all motor vehicle title records in the United States -- more than 300 million vehicle identification numbers -- into the system so far, but four states and the District of Columbia missed a Jan. 1 deadline.

Burch said Oregon, Mississippi, Illinois and Kansas have blamed state budget woes for their inability to meet the deadline.

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