MINUTES OF THE

SENATE Committee on Transportation

 

Seventy-First Session

February 20, 2001

 

 

The Senate Committee on Transportationwas called to order by Chairman William R. O'Donnell, at 1:48 p.m., on Tuesday, February 20, 2001, in Room 2149 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.  All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman

Senator Mark Amodei, Vice Chairman

Senator Lawrence E. Jacobsen

Senator Maurice Washington

Senator Raymond C. Shaffer

Senator Terry Care

Senator Maggie Carlton

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Donald O. Williams, Committee Policy Analyst

Joan Moseid, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

Laurel A. Stadler, Lobbyist, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, Lyon County Chapter

 

Chairman O’Donnell opened the hearing on Senate Bill (S.B.) 43.

 

SENATE BILL 43:  Eliminates requirements relating to driver education or training for issuance of driver’s license to certain persons. (BDR 43-27)

 

Senator Maurice E. Washington, Washoe County Senatorial District 2, gave a presentation on S.B. 43.  He stated that his testimony on S.B. 43 would be based on his own experience with his youngest daughter who is currently a senior at Reed High School.  Senator Washington noted that because his daughter’s sixteenth birthday came during the summer, she was unable to attend a driver’s education class at Reed High School because the school did not offer this class in the summer.  He explained that his daughter had obtained a job and in order for her to keep her job, his responsibility became driving her to and from her place of employment for 4 to 6 months through the summer and fall until the driver’s education class started.  He commented on how this experience had inconvenienced him and disrupted his schedule.  He said he had received numerous comments from other parents in similar situations.

 

Senator Washington said he believed that bringing this bill forward would make it easier for the line workers at the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety (DMV/PS), as well as any student who turns 16 years old during the summer months.

 

Senator Washington stated that this bill is very simple, then read aloud page 2, lines 19 through 29.  He acknowledged that there is some controversy over this bill and it was not his intention to undo what has already been done in the previous sessions.  But his intent, he said, is to cover the void in Chapter 483 of Nevada Revised Statutes.  Senator Washington reiterated that if he had not experienced this situation with his youngest daughter and had not received comments from other parents in the same situations, he would not have brought this bill forward this session.  Chairman O’Donnell agreed, noting that sometimes the legislators have to draw from personal experiences to make certain measures that would make it better for the people.

 

Senator Care queried whether S.B. 43 would have an impact on a student in a year-round school.  Senator Washington answered, “No, it does not.”

 

Senator Carlton mentioned that her daughter, at the age of 15½ years old, was able to obtain a driver’s permit and sign up for a driver’s education class.  She asked Senator Washington if the schools in Northern Nevada offer the same option.  Senator Washington explained that some schools offer driver’s education classes to freshmen.  He continued that, at the time of his experience, his youngest daughter was a junior, had just turned 16 years old, and that she was unable to take a driver’s education class because driver’s education was not offered in the fall semester.  Senator Washington stated that his daughter was caught in a loop for several months until the school offered driver’s education classes again in the spring.  He added that he and his wife were good stewards by participating in her driving experience, but that it was very unfortunate that his daughter was in the “voided area” where she could not get her driver’s license.

 

Chairman O’Donnell noted that page 2, lines 19 through 29, of the bill seemed to be disjointed. 

 

Laurel A. Stadler, Lobbyist, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, Lyon County Chapter, spoke against S.B. 43.  Ms. Stadler stated that she believed the Legislature passed the current law to make the new drivers as safe as possible.  She said she strongly believes that to waive a requirement as important as the driver’s education component of those requirements would not be the right thing to do. 

 

Ms. Stadler reiterated that the legislators have always strived for public safety.  She said that young people are over-represented in crash statistics, and stated whatever the legislators can do to make young people safer and more responsible drivers would be in the best interest of the state of Nevada.  Ms. Stadler commented that the current statistics show that two-thirds of the passengers killed in automobile crashes are teenagers riding with other teenagers.  She commented further that with all the positive things the Legislature has done to make teenage drivers more experienced and better trained, it does not make sense to back off on the driver’s education requirements at this time.  Ms. Stadler maintained a child’s transportation should be the parents’ responsibility until their teenager has been trained, licensed and becomes a responsible driver, whether it happens at the age of 16, 17, or beyond.

 

Chairman O’Donnell agreed with Ms. Stadler.

 

Senator Care asked Ms. Stadler if she had any statistic that indicated that teenagers are more inclined to be involved in an accident in a much heavier- populated area versus a rural area.  Ms. Stadler responded, “No, I do not have any statistics at this time.  But, what I do have are the statistics relating to places that have the most stringent driver’s educational programs that show a drop in fatalities once the programs have been implemented.”  Ms. Stadler said she agreed with Senator Care that in the urban areas, the training would be more important because of the variety of roads, traffic and multitude of people.

 

Chairman O’Donnell closed the hearing on S.B. 43 and opened the hearing on S.B. 56.

 

SENATE BILL 56:  Revises composition of board of directors of department of transportation and of certain regional transportation commissions. (BDR 35-68)

 

Chairman O’Donnell remarked that S.B. 56 was requested to be put in again this session, and he had been lobbied to make changes to the provisions referring to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC).  He said it is also of interest to see that the Transportation Committee changes the makeup of the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Board of Directors.  Chairman O’Donnell stated that this particular entity is responsible for raising the gas taxes at the gas pump to produce state highways, off-ramps, and the overpasses in the state of Nevada for the motoring public.

 

Chairman O’Donnell expounded that this committee affects every person who has the desire to go from “Point A to Point B” within the counties.  He stated that it has been incumbent upon the legislators to make sure, once the funds are raised, that the county-built highways, off-ramps and overpasses are built in a sufficient manner as well.  Chairman O’Donnell mentioned that in the past there were some decisions made that he was not happy about.  He said he strongly believed that if there were some legislators on the board of directors of NDOT, it would help.  Chairman O’Donnell stated that his desire would be to research the ability to have an interim Transportation Committee that would deal with the funding of the highways and leave the board of directors of NDOT to deal with the day-to-day and other sundry issues.  He announced that he would appoint a subcommittee for S.B. 56.

 

Chairman O’Donnell asked if there were any additional remarks or testimony. 

 

Chairman O’Donnell turned the gavel over to Vice Chairman Amodei because he had to leave the hearing and testify before another committee.  Vice Chairman Amodei confirmed that there would be a subcommittee formed for S.B. 56.  He indicated that when Chairman O’Donnell returned he would make the appropriate subcommittee announcement for handling the state aspects as far as the board of directors of NDOT.

 

Vice Chairman Amodei introduced Bill Draft Request (BDR) 35-476.

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 35-476:  Requires board of directors of department of transportation to relinquish portions of certain state highways to county or city under certain circumstances.  (Later introduced as Senate Bill 219.)

 

SENATOR SHAFFER MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 35-476.

 

SENATOR CARE SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

THE MOTION CARRIED.  (SENATOR O’DONNELL WAS ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)

 

*****

 

Vice Chairman Amodei adjourned the hearing at 2:10 p.m.

 

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

 

                          

Joan Moseid,

Committee Secretary

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

                                                                                         

Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman

 

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