Amended in Senate June 18, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 14, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1024

Introduced by Assembly Member Beth Gaines

February 26, 2015

An act to add Section 11102.6 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1024, as amended, Beth Gaines. Driving schools.

Existing law requires a person who is licensed as a driving school operator by the Department of Motor Vehicles to meet specified requirements, and provides for disciplinary action against those licensees who commit certain acts. Existing law specifies certain requirements that a driving school operator must satisfy, including, among others, passing an examination, within 3 attempts, on traffic laws, safe driving practices, the operation of motor vehicles, and other topics. Existing law requires the operator to have worked as a driving instructor for a specified number of hours, as provided.

This bill would require driving school operators who are first licensed on or after July 1, 2016, and who begin delete operate Internet driving schools with end delete begin insert offer end insert no behind-the-wheel driver training, to successfully complete begin delete an 8-hour end delete begin insert a 60-hour end insert educational program acceptable to the department with specified content, including operator responsibilities and current laws, instead of meeting the requirement of having worked as a driving instructor for a specified number of hours.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 11102.6 is added to the Vehicle Code,
to read:

11102.6.  

(a) Notwithstanding Section 11102.5, a driving school
operator who is first licensed to operate a driving school on or
after July 1, 2016, begin delete whose sole method of instruction is
Internet-based driver education, end delete and who offers no
behind-the-wheel driver training, shall meet all of the following
requirements:

(1) Within three attempts, pass an examination that the
department requires on traffic laws, safe driving practices,
operation of motor vehicles, teaching methods and techniques,
driving school statutes and regulations, and office procedures and
recordkeeping.

(2) Pay the department a fee for each examination taken, not to
exceed the reasonable cost of administering the examination.

(3) Be 21 years of age or older.

(4) Have successfully completed an educational program of not
less than begin delete eight end delete begin insert 60 end insert hours that is acceptable to the department. begin insert The
program shall include a minimum of 40 hours of classroom
instruction and 20 hours of behind the wheel instruction. end insert The
program shall include, but not be limited to, driving school operator
responsibilities, current vehicle laws, and regulations in Article
4.6 of Chapter 1 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations.
The instruction may be provided by generally accredited
educational institutions, private vocational schools, and education
programs and seminars offered by professional societies,
organizations, trade associations, and other educational and
technical programs that meet the requirements of this section.

(b) The qualifying requirements referred to in this section shall
be met within one year from the date of application for a license,
or a new application, examination, and a fee for the examination
not to exceed the reasonable cost of administering the examination
shall be required.