LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

February 28, 2009

TO:	Honorable Rob Eissler, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB339 by Phillips (Relating to driver education and driver's licensing requirements for minors.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require all school districts to offer driver education and traffic safety courses each year and would direct the Commissioner of Education to establish a standard minimum number of actual driving hours required in the curriculum. 

The Texas Education Agency estimates that 3.0 FTEs would be required to conduct training and compliance monitoring for new driver education programs resulting from the provisions of the bill.

The bill would require the Department of Public Safety to publish collision rate statistics regarding the students trained by each driver education program and would restrict the ability of persons with certain traffic violations from serving either as certified instructors or from conducting a "Parent-taught" course.  Costs to the Department of Public Safety are not expected to be significant.

Local Government Impact

The bill would require all school districts to offer driver education and traffic safety courses each year and would allow school districts to charge a fee to participants comparable to commercial driver training courses. 

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety, 701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, JSp, JGM, JSc, LG