BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1986
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Date of Hearing: April 28, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 1986 (Linder) - As Amended: April 21, 2014
SUBJECT : Vehicles: traffic violator school program
SUMMARY : Makes several changes related to the Department of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) Traffic Violator School (TVS) program.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes a technical change to existing law to correct an
inconsistency that was enacted in the 2013 Maintenance of
Codes legislation, AB 383 (Wagner), Chapter 76, Statutes of
2013.
2)Changes the date by which DMV is required to submit it annual
TVS report to the Legislature from December 31st of each year
to December 15th of each year.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides for the licensing and administration by DMV of
traffic violator schools, operators, and instructors.
2)Establishes licensing requirements for TVS owners, operators,
and instructors, as specified.
3)Requires DMV, until January 1, 2016, to submit a report to the
Legislature on the status and progress related to the
statewide regulation of TVSs by December 31st of each year.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : AB 2499 (Portantino), Chapter 599, Statutes of 2010,
enacted a long-sought regulatory scheme to bring some parity and
consistency to the TVS process. Several of that bill's key
provisions included, establishing DMV oversight of all TVS
modalities (e.g. classroom-based, home-study, and Internet
instructional services), requiring DMV to develop a web-based
system to be accessible by the courts and TVSs in order to
electronically record and transmit course completion data, and
requiring DMV to provide on its website, a randomized list of
all licensed TVSs.
AB 1986
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AB 2499 also required DMV, until January 1, 2016, to submit an
annual TVS report to the Legislature by December 31st on the
status and progress of AB 2499's implementation. According to
the most recent report, at the end of Fiscal Year 2012-2013,
there were 537 licensed businesses offering TVS services
including 292 classroom courses, 129 home study courses, and 283
Internet courses (704 total courses). Additionally, the report
indicated a total of 41 consumer complaints were submitted to
DMV between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, with a vast majority
of those complaints relating to TVSs not properly transmitting
student completion information.
This bill will make several changes to existing law related to
DMV's TVS program. First, this bill proposes to correct a
drafting error that occurred per the enactment of AB 383 which
reestablished a section within the Vehicle Code that was
inadvertently made inoperative under the passing of AB 2499 in
2010. Second, this bill proposes to change the date that DMV is
required to submit its annual TVS report to the Legislature from
December 31st to not later than December 15th of each year.
The author asserts that this bill will correct an inadvertent
drafting error in existing law, and by changing the date for
DMV's reporting requirements, will provide the Legislature the
opportunity to review DMV's recommendations and provide
additional time to determine if additional legislative remedies
are necessary.
TVSs have a long, contentious history, primarily turning on the
axis of brick-and-mortar schools versus internet-based schools,
as evidenced by the strong opposition to the bill despite the
fact that it contains only non-substantive provisions.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
Traffic Safety Educators Association of California
World's Fastest Traffic School.com
Fast and Fun Online.com
AB 1986
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Traffic School Lowest Price.com
Great Comedians Traffic School
Simple Fast Fun.com
Comedy and Fun
Low Cost And Easy.com
Comedians Teach You Online.com
Traffic Schools Online 4U.com
Cheap Fast Fun.com
Analysis Prepared by : Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093