| TO: | Honorable Mike Krusee, Chair, House Committee on Transportation |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2628 by Goolsby (Relating to education and examination requirements for the issuance of a driver's license.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code relating to education and examination requirements for the issuance of a driver's license.
The bill would amend Transportation Code, Section 521 and Education Code, Section 1001, which states the Department of Public Safety (DPS) shall waive the highway sign and traffic law parts of the driver license examination for an applicant who presents a driver education certificate issued under Chapter 1001 of the Education Code (which states the applicant has completed and passed the highway sign and traffic law parts of the examination). The bill would authorize driver education schools to administer the highway sign and traffic law part of the driver’s license exam to students between the ages of 15 and 17 if they have completed and passed six hours of approved driver education classroom instruction or students 18 years of age or older who have completed and passed a six-hour approved traffic law classroom driver education course.
The bill also would require the Commissioner of Education to establish curriculum and textbooks for a comprehensive driver education course for minors and adults and a traffic law classroom driver education course for adults. The adult traffic law course would be required to be six hours and include instruction in driver’s license requirements, vehicle inspection and registration, financial responsibility, highway signs, and traffic laws. The bill states an approved driving safety course would not qualify as a driver education course. The bill would take effect September 1, 2007 and would apply to application for the issuance of a driver’s license filed on or after the effective date.
DPS anticipates no significant fiscal impact to the agency. DPS estimated a need for $18,800 in professional service fees in additional programming changes in fiscal year 2008 in order to implement the provisions of the bill. It is assumed that these costs can be absorbed within the agency’s current appropriations. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) states the fiscal impact would cost the state $118,581 in 2008 and $108,581 in 2009, including 2 full-time-equivalents to implement the provisions of the bill. It is assumed the TEA costs could be absorbed within the agency’s current appropriations and therefore would not result in a significant fiscal impact to the state.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety, 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, GG, LG
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