By Averitt                                            H.B. No. 3157
         77R7550 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to eligibility for a driving safety instructor license.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 15, Texas Driver and Traffic Safety
 1-5     Education Act (Article 4413(29c), Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes),
 1-6     is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 15. (a)  A person may not teach or give driving safety
 1-8     training, either as an individual or in a driving safety school, or
 1-9     any phase of driving safety education, unless a driving safety
1-10     instructor license has been secured from the agency, except that an
1-11     instructor of a driving safety course that does not provide a
1-12     uniform certificate of completion to its graduates is exempt from
1-13     this section.
1-14           (b)  A person may not teach or give driver education, either
1-15     as an individual or in a driver education school, or any phase of
1-16     driver education unless the person:
1-17                 (1)  holds a driver education instructor license [has
1-18     been secured] from the agency;
1-19                 (2)  has a four-year degree from an institution of
1-20     higher education and has completed the nine semester hours
1-21     described under Section 15A(b) of this Act; or
1-22                 (3)  has held for at least three years a teaching
1-23     certificate and any additional certification required to teach
1-24     driver education and has completed 32 hours of student teaching in
 2-1     driver education.
 2-2           (c) [(b)]  A license issued to a driver education or driving
 2-3     safety instructor expires not more than 12 months after the date of
 2-4     issue, unless sooner suspended or revoked.  License renewal
 2-5     applications must include evidence of completion of continuing
 2-6     education and shall be postmarked at least 30 days before the date
 2-7     of expiration or a late renewal fee of $25 will be imposed.  The
 2-8     continuing education must be in courses approved by the
 2-9     commissioner and be for a certain number of hours determined by the
2-10     commissioner.
2-11           (d) [(c)]  A driver education instructor license shall be
2-12     carried by the instructor at all times while instructing driver
2-13     education courses.  A driving safety instructor license shall be
2-14     carried by the instructor at all times while instructing driving
2-15     safety courses.  Each license shall be signed by the commissioner
2-16     and issued under the seal of the board.
2-17           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.