Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2183 Amended / Bill

Filed 03/30/2021

                     
 
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION 
March 29, 2021 
 
 
ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 2183 	By: Johns and West (Josh) of 
the House 
 
  and 
 
  Standridge and Bergstrom of 
the Senate 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to driver licenses; amending 47 O.S. 
2011, Section 6-110, as last amended by Section 1, 
Chapter 395, O.S.L. 2019 (47 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 
6-110), which relates to examination of applicants 
for driver licenses; allowing a public transit agency 
to hire or employ certain examiners; requiring the 
Department of Public Saf ety to approve at least one 
public transit agency meeting certain criteria; 
authorizing public transit agency to use third -party 
examiners; modifying date for promulgation of rules; 
amending 47 O.S. 2011, Section 6 -110.1, as amended by 
Section 1, Chapter 1 37, O.S.L. 2020 (47 O.S. Supp. 
2020, Section 6-110.1), which relates to 
endorsements; allowing certain existing driver 
license holders to test for only the new endorsement 
sought; and providing an effective date. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE O F THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     47 O.S. 2011 , Section 6-110, as 
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 395, O.S.L. 2019 (47 O.S. Supp. 
2020, Section 6-110), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 6-110.  A.  1.  The Dep artment of Public Safety shall 
examine every applicant for an original Class A, B, C or D license   
 
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and for any endorsements thereon, except as otherwise provided in 
Section 6-101 et seq. of this title or as provided in paragraph 2 of 
this subsection or in s ubsections D and E of this section.  The 
examination shall include a test of the appl icant's: 
a. eyesight, 
b. ability to read and understand highway signs 
regulating, warning and directing traffic, 
c. knowledge of the traffic laws of this state, including 
a portion on bicycle and motorcycle safety, and 
d. ability, by actual demonstration, to exercise ordinary 
and reasonable control in the operation of a motor 
vehicle.  The actual demonstration shall be conducted 
in the type of motor vehicle for the class of driver 
license being applied for. 
The Department may create a knowledge test that ma y be taken on the 
Internet by an applicant applying for a Class D license. 
Any licensee seeking to apply for a driver license of another class 
which is not covered by the licensee's current driver license shall 
be considered an applicant for an original li cense for that class. 
2.  The Department of Public Safety shall have the authority to 
waive the requirement of any part of the examination required in 
paragraph 1 of this subsection for those applicants whose driving 
record meets the standards set by the D epartment of Public Safety 
and surrenders surrender either of the following:   
 
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a. a valid unexpired driver license issued by any state 
or country for the same type or types of vehicles, or 
b. an expired driver license that: 
(1) is not expired more than six ( 6) months past the 
expiration date listed on the driver license, and 
(2) is not a Class A, B or C commercial driver 
license or commercial driver license permit. 
3.  The Department shall accept skills test results from another 
state for Class A, B or C lice nse applicants who have successfully 
completed commercial motor vehicle driver training in that state and 
successfully passed the skills test in that state; provided, the 
Department shall not accept skills test results from another state 
when the applicant has not successfully completed commercial motor 
vehicle driver training in that state.  Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to prohibit the Department from adminis tering the 
skills test to any applicant who has successfully completed 
commercial vehicle driver training in another state. 
4.  All applicants requiring a hazardous materials endorsement 
shall be required, for the renewal of the endorsement, to 
successfully complete the examination and to submit to a security 
threat assessment performed by the Transportation Security 
Administration of the Department of Homeland Security as required by 
and pursuant to 49 C.F.R., Part 1572, which shall be used to   
 
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determine whether the applicant is eligible for renewal of the 
endorsement pursuant to federal la w and regulation. 
5.  The Department of Public Safety shall give the complete 
examination as provided for in this section within thirty (30) days 
from the date the applica tion is received, and the examination shall 
be given at a location within one hundred (100) miles of the 
residence of the applicant.  The Department shall make every effort 
to make the examination locations and times convenient for 
applicants.  The Departm ent shall consider giving the examination at 
various school sites if the district boa rd of education for the 
district in which the site is located agrees and if economically 
feasible and practicable. 
B.  Any person holding a valid Oklahoma Class D license or 
provisional driver license pursuant to Section 6 -212 of this title 
and applying for a Class A, B or C commercial license shall be 
required to successfully complete all examinations as required for 
the specified class.  Failure to submit to the Departmen t federally 
required medical certification information pursuant to 49 C.F.R., 
Part 391.41 et seq. shall result in an automatic downgrade of a 
commercial license to a Class D license.  Provided, however, once 
the required medical certification information h as been received by 
the Department, the license shall be reinstated to the 
classification of the commercial license prior to the downgrade and 
the holder of such a license shall not be required to reapply.   
 
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C.  Except as provided in subsection E of Section 6-101 of this 
title, any person holding a valid Oklahoma Class A, B or C 
commercial license shall, upon time for renewal thereof, be entitled 
to a Class D license without any type of testing or examination, 
except for any endorsements thereon as otherwise provided for by 
Section 6-110.1 of this title. 
D.  1.  Any certified driver education instructor who is 
currently an operator or an employee of a commercial driver training 
school in this state or any driver education instructor employed by 
any school district in this state shall be eligible to apply to be a 
designated examiner of the Depa rtment of Public Safety for the 
purposes of administering the Class D driving skills portion of the 
Oklahoma driving examination to any person who has not previously 
been a student of the instructor. 
2.  The Department of Public Safety shall adopt a curric ulum of 
required courses and training to be offered to applicants who are 
qualified to apply to be a designated examiner.  The courses and 
training for certification shall meet the same standards as required 
for driver examiners of the Department of Public Safety. 
3.  Each person applying to be a designated examiner shall be 
required to pay an initial designated examiner certification fee of 
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) .  Upon successful completion of 
training prescribed by paragraph 2 of this subsectio n, the person 
shall be required to pay an annual designated examiner certification   
 
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fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00).  If an applicant for the 
designated examiner prog ram is employed by an Oklahoma public school 
system that offers driver education, and he or she administers the 
skills test only to students enrolled in a public school driver 
education program, the certification fee may be waived by the 
Department.  Each designated examiner certification shall expire on 
the last day of the calendar year a nd may be renewed upon 
application to the Department of Public Safety.  The designated 
examiner certification fees collected by the Department pursuant to 
this subsection shall be deposited to the credit of the Department 
of Public Safety Restricted Revolv ing Fund to be used for the 
purposes of this subsection.  No designated examiner certification 
fee shall be refunded in the event that certification is denied, 
suspended or revoked. 
4.  A designated examiner may charge a fee of no more than 
Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) for each Class D driving skills 
examination given, whether the person being examined passes or fails 
the examination. 
5.  The Department shall conduct an ann ual complete nationwide 
criminal history background check on each designated examiner and a 
complete nationwide criminal history background check on each 
designated examiner applicant.  The fees for the background check 
shall be borne by the designated exa miner or designated examiner 
applicant.   
 
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6.  The Department of Public Safety shall pro mulgate rules to 
implement and administer the provisions of this subsection. 
E.  1.  Upon application and approval of the Commissioner of the 
Department of Public Safety, any public or private commercial truck 
driving school that has or maintains a program instructing students 
for a Class A, B or C license , public transit agency or state, 
county or municipal government agency in the State of Oklahoma shall 
be authorized to hire or employ designated examiners approved by the 
Department of Public Safety to be third-party examiners of the Class 
A, B or C driving skills portion of the Oklahoma driving 
examination.  All designated examiners must successfully have 
completed the courses and training as outlined in paragraph 2 of 
this subsection.  The Department of Public Safety shall be required 
to approve at least one public transit agency that has or maintains 
a program instructing students for a Class A, B or C license to hire 
or employ third-party examiners pursuant to this section.  It shall 
be permissible for any public transit agency operating in the State 
of Oklahoma to utilize the third -party examiners hired or employed 
by a public transit agency approved by the Department. 
2.  The Department of Public Safety shall adopt a curriculum of 
required courses and training to be offered to third -party 
examiners.  The courses and training for certification shall meet 
the same standards as required for commercial driver examiners of 
the Department of Public Safety.   
 
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3.  The Department shall conduct on an annual basis a complete 
nationwide criminal history background check on each third -party 
examiner and a complete nationwide criminal history background check 
on each third-party examiner applicant.  The fees for the background 
check shall be borne by the third -party examiner or third-party 
examiner applicant. 
F.  The Department of Public Safety shall promulgate rules no 
later than December 15, 2019 2021, to: 
1.  Implement and administer the provisions of this section 
based on requirements set forth in Section 383.75 of T itle 49 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations; 
2.  Establish a process to inform any school or, public transit 
agency, examiner, or state, county or municipal government agen cy, 
who has been denied, within forty-five (45) days from the denial; 
3.  Create an appeal process for any school or, public transit 
agency, examiner, or state, county or municipal government agency 
denied; and 
4.  If the initial application for approval w as denied, limit 
the number of times an individual school or, public transit agency , 
individual examiner applicant , or state, county or municipal 
government agency may reapply in a calendar year to two 
reapplications.   
 
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SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY    47 O.S. 2011, Section 6-110.1, as 
amended by Section 1, Chapter 137, O.S.L. 2020 (47 O.S. Supp. 2020, 
Section 6-110.1), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 6-110.1  A.  The following endorsements shall be placed 
on an Oklahoma driver license t o any person qualifying therefore as 
determined by the Department of Public Safety.  Any person having an 
original Class A, B, C or D Oklahoma driver license shall only be 
required to take the supporting written endorsement testing which is 
required to endorse the original Class A, B, C or D Oklahoma driver 
license. 
 Endorsement Authorizes the operation of: 
 "H"  A non-tank-type vehicle used to 
transport hazardous materials in 
placardable amounts pursuant to 49 
C.F.R., Part 172, subpart F; 
 "M"  A motorcycle; 
 "N"  A tank vehicle as defined in Section 
1-173.1 of this title; 
 "P"  A vehicle designed by the 
manufacturer to transport sixteen or 
more passengers, including the 
driver; 
 "S"  A school bus;   
 
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 "T"  A vehicle with double or triple 
trailers; 
 "X"  A tank vehicle used to transport 
hazardous materials in placardable 
amounts pursuant to 49 C.F.R., Part 
172, subpart F. 
B.  The Department may also provide for additional endorsements 
as may be needed or as otherwise provided for by law. 
C.  No person shall ope rate a motor vehicle requiring 
endorsements as provided for in this section without h aving a valid 
Class A, B, C or D license with the required endorsements. 
D.  All endorsements as provided for in this section must be 
obtained prior to the operation of su ch vehicles.  However, the 
requirement for a hazardous materials endorsement is not r equired 
for the operation of farm vehicles used to transport pesticides, 
fertilizers, or other products integral to farming, but which are 
defined as hazardous materials. If, after obtaining a hazardous 
material endorsement, a person becomes ineligible fo r the hazardous 
material endorsement pursuant to state or federal law, or both, or 
any regulation, the Department of Public Safety shall provide notice 
as provided in Section 2-116 of this title.  A person will have 
thirty (30) days from the date of the no tice to appear at a 
designated testing facility to apply and be issued a commercial 
driver license without the endorsement.  Failure to comply within   
 
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the required time sha ll be grounds for the Department of Public 
Safety to disqualify the commercial driver license of the person 
until compliance has been met. 
SECTION 3.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON PUBLI C SAFETY 
March 29, 2021 - DO PASS