BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1024
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Date of Hearing: April 20, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Jim Frazier, Chair
AB 1024
(Beth Gaines) - As Amended April 14, 2015
SUBJECT: Driving schools
SUMMARY: Establishes alternative licensing requirements for
operators of Internet-based driver education schools, as
specified. Specifies that these requirements are to commence
for new operators on or after July 1, 2016.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires DMV to establish occupational licensing requirements
for driving school operators.
2)Requires driver school operators to meet a number of
requirements including, passing a DMV-administered
examination, be age 21 or older, and serve as a behind the
wheel driving instructor for a minimum of 2,000 hours.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Currently a minor between 15 and a half years old and
AB 1024
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18 years old interested in obtaining a driver's license under
DMV's graduated driver's license program (GDL) must first
complete both a driver's education course and a six hour
behind-the-wheel driver's training course. The driver's
education course includes information on a variety of topics
including the basic fundamentals of being a safe and responsible
driver, a review of pertinent driving laws, and GDL program
restrictions. Additionally, behind-the-wheel driver's training
allows the minor to practice basic driving skills under the
supervision of an instructor. Once a minor has successfully
completed both their driver's education course and driver's
training course, the next step is to take DMV's written test to
obtain a learner's permit.
DMV licenses and approves all owners, operators, and instructors
of driver's education and driver's training courses. DMV also
establishes course curricula, conducts monitoring activities,
and performs other regulatory functions. Driver's education
operators and instructors are also subject to separate licensing
requirements due to their differing responsibilities -
instructors provide coursework instruction and engage with
students, whereas operators carry out administrative functions,
oversee instructors, and, at times, provide instruction.
Students are also provided a wide range of driver's education
and training courses including classroom only driver's
education, combined classroom driver's education and
behind-the-wheel training, home study driver's education,
Internet-based driver's education, and separate driver's
training instruction.
The author introduced AB 1024 on behalf of the sponsor to
eliminate what she believes is an unnecessary requirement for
Internet-based driver's education operators. Presently a
driver's education operator must meet a number of requirements
in order to obtain a DMV-issued occupational license including
serving as a driving instructor for a minimum of 2,000 hours.
While these requirements ensured an operator was adequately
AB 1024
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trained to manage both driver's education and training courses
twenty years ago, the use of Internet-based companies solely
providing driver's education courses has steadily increased.
These online courses typically provide only driver's education
coursework and then, upon successful completion, refer the
student to local driver's training courses. An available
instructor or operator is required to be available via online
chat or through a customer service line to answer any questions
a student may pose. Thus, an operator rarely, if at all,
engages in person with a student. These particular set of
operator requirements originally tailored for the
classroom-based driver's education and training model has left
many Internet-based driver's education companies struggling to
hire or replace operators within a reasonable period, in turn,
jeopardizing the company's ability to conduct business.
This bill provides an alternative set of licensing requirements
for new operators who only administer Internet-based driver's
education. Notably, this bill replaces the 2,000 hour
behind-the-wheel instructor requirement with an eight-hour
mandatory driver's education program that must be successfully
completed. The author notes that AB 1024 will "remove the
unnecessary 2,000 hour requirement of behind-the-wheel training
from operators of Internet-based driver's education companies
who don't provide behind-the-wheel training in the course of
their business."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
The Distance Learning Company (Sponsor)
AB 1024
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Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093