LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session April 10, 1995 TO: Honorable David Sibley, Chair IN RE: Committee Substitute Committee on Economic Development for Senate Senate Bill Austin, Texas No. 964 FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No. 964 (relating to the regulation of driver training; providing a penalty) this office has determined the following: The bill would transfer the regulation and administration of driver education programs currently under the direction of the Texas Education Agency to the Higher Education Coordinating Board. The bill would also rewrite guidelines and qualifications for commercial drivers education and grant authority to certain commercial driver education schools to conduct driver's license testing and issuance of instruction permits currently granted only by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). All costs associated with driver education programs are paid by fees collected from the driver education schools. Therefore, no cost to the state or local government is anticipated as a result of transferring the regulatory authority of driver education. While granting authority to issue instruction permits to commercial driving schools will increase the data workload of the DPS Headquarters personnel, DPS field Driver License Service employees should experience a decrease of 7 percent of total transactions processed. The costs savings associated with an anticipated reduction in field office work should offset cost increases for Headquarters work. It is anticipated, with DPS cost offsets, that the bill would have no significant fiscal implications to the state or units of local government. Source: Department of Public Safety, Higher Education Coordinating Board LBB Staff: JK, MK, RR