| 1 | 1 | | 83R21612 SLB-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Parker H.B. No. 2320 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2320: |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | By: Pickett C.S.H.B. No. 2320 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to establishing a pilot program for driver education |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | schools to administer certain driver's license examinations; |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | authorizing fees. |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | is amended by adding Section 521.1656 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 521.1656. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING BY |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | DRIVER EDUCATION SCHOOL. (a) The department shall establish a |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | pilot program under which the department may designate driver |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | education schools licensed under Chapter 1001, Education Code, to |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | administer the examination required under Section 521.161(b)(2) in |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | addition to the department's administration of that examination. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (b) The department shall: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (1) establish criteria for determining the |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | eligibility of a driver education school to apply for participation |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | in the pilot program and continue to operate under the pilot |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | program; |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (2) monitor participating driver education schools to |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | ensure that the driver education schools are conducting thorough |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | examinations; and |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (3) conduct annual reports outlining: |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (A) the number of individuals who opt to have the |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | examination required under Section 521.161(b)(2) administered by a |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | participating driver education school; |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (B) the number of traffic incidents and citations |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | involving drivers who were administered the examination required |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | under Section 521.161(b)(2) by a driver education school under the |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | pilot program and whether that number is proportional to the |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | overall incident and citation rate in this state; and |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (C) the department's assessment of the ability of |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | driver education schools to effectively administer the examination |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | required under Section 521.161(b)(2). |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (c) The department may charge a driver education school a |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | fee for applying to enter the pilot program and for participating in |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | the program. The department shall set the fees in amounts |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | sufficient to cover the costs of administering this section. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (d) The department shall adopt rules to implement this |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | section. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (e) The pilot program established under this section |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | expires September 1, 2017. After September 1, 2017, on the |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | recommendation of the department, the commission may authorize the |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | department to implement the pilot program as a permanent program. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. The Department of Public Safety shall adopt the |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | rules required by Section 521.1656, Transportation Code, as added |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | by this Act, not later than January 1, 2014. |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
|---|