(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

 

Assembly Bill No. 271–Assemblymen Humke, Gibbons, Von Tobel, Bache, Beers, Dini, Goldwater, McClain, Mortenson, Neighbors, Price and Williams

 

March 5, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Education

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions concerning automobile driver education and renewal of license of instructor of school for training drivers. (BDR 34‑1011)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: Yes.

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to the training of drivers; requiring the state board of education to adopt regulations governing automobile driver education in public schools; authorizing licensed schools for training drivers to use certain interactive technologies in lieu of actual classroom instruction; requiring an instructor of a school for training drivers to complete certain training before his license as an instructor may be renewed by the department of motor vehicles and public safety; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 389.090 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    389.090  1.  The state board shall adopt regulations governing the

1-3  establishment, conduct and scope of automobile driver education in the

1-4  public schools of this state. The regulations must set forth, without

1-5  limitation:

1-6    (a) The number of hours of training that must be completed by a pupil

1-7  who enrolls in a course in automobile driver education;

1-8    (b) That a course in automobile driver education may be conducted in

1-9  a classroom or motor vehicle, or both; and

1-10    (c) That if a course in automobile driver education is conducted both

1-11  in a classroom and in a motor vehicle, 1 hour of training in a motor

1-12  vehicle is equivalent to 3 hours of training in a classroom.

1-13    2.  The aims and purposes of automobile driver education are to

1-14  develop the knowledge, attitudes, habits and skills necessary for the safe

1-15  operation of motor vehicles.

1-16    3.  The board of trustees of a school district may establish and maintain

1-17  courses in automobile driver education [classes] during regular semesters

2-1  and summer sessions and during the regular school day and at times other

2-2  than during the regular school day for:

2-3    (a) Pupils enrolled in the regular full-time day high schools in the

2-4  school district.

2-5    (b) Pupils enrolled in summer classes conducted in high schools in the

2-6  school district.

2-7  A board of trustees maintaining courses in automobile driver education

2-8  shall insure against any liability arising out of the use of motor vehicles in

2-9  connection with those courses. The cost of the insurance must be paid from

2-10  available money of the school district . [funds.]

2-11    4.  A governing body of a charter school may establish and maintain

2-12  courses in automobile driver education [classes] if the governing body

2-13  insures against any liability arising out of the use of motor vehicles in

2-14  connection with those courses.

2-15    5.  Automobile driver education must be provided by boards of trustees

2-16  of school districts and governing bodies of charter schools in accordance

2-17  with the regulations of the state board and may not be duplicated by any

2-18  other agency, department, commission or officer of the State of Nevada.

2-19    6.  Each course in automobile driver education provided by a board of

2-20  trustees of a school district or a governing body of a charter school must

2-21  include, without limitation, instruction in:

2-22    (a) Motor vehicle insurance.

2-23    (b) The effect of drugs and alcohol on an operator of a motor vehicle.

2-24    7.  Each course in automobile driver education provided by a board of

2-25  trustees of a school district or a governing body of a charter school must be

2-26  restricted to pupils who are sophomores, juniors or seniors in high school.

2-27    Sec. 2.  NRS 483.725 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-28    483.725  1.  Each course of training provided by a school for training

2-29  drivers licensed pursuant to NRS 483.700 to 483.780, inclusive, must

2-30  include, without limitation, instruction in:

2-31    [1.] (a) Motor vehicle insurance.

2-32    [2.] (b) The effect of drugs and alcohol on an operator of a motor

2-33  vehicle.

2-34    2.  If a course of training provided by a school for training drivers

2-35  licensed pursuant to NRS 483.700 to 483.780, inclusive, consists in whole

2-36  or in part of classroom instruction, that part of the course which consists

2-37  of classroom instruction may be taught interactively through the use of

2-38  communications technology so that persons taking the course need not

2-39  be physically present in a classroom.

2-40    3.  The department shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions

2-41  of subsection 2. The regulations must include, without limitation:

2-42    (a) Provisions for the licensing and operation of interactive courses

2-43  that use communications technology;

2-44    (b) Provisions to ensure that interactive courses which use

2-45  communications technology are secure, reliable and include measures

2-46  for testing and security that are at least as secure as the measures for

2-47  testing and security which would be available in an ordinary classroom;

2-48  and

3-1    (c) Standards to ensure that interactive courses which use

3-2  communications technology offer a curriculum that is at least as

3-3  stringent as the curriculum which would be available in an ordinary

3-4  classroom.

3-5    4.  As used in this section, “communications technology” means any

3-6  method or component, or both, that is used by a school for training

3-7  drivers licensed pursuant to NRS 483.700 to 483.780, inclusive, to carry

3-8  out or facilitate the transmission of information, including, without

3-9  limitation, the transmission and reception of information by:

3-10    (a) Systems based on the following technologies:

3-11      (1) Video;

3-12      (2) Wire;

3-13      (3) Cable;

3-14      (4) Radio;

3-15      (5) Microwave;

3-16      (6) Light; or

3-17      (7) Optics; and

3-18    (b) Computer data networks, including, without limitation, the

3-19  Internet or its successor, if any, and intranet services.

3-20    Sec. 3.  NRS 483.730 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-21    483.730  1.  The department shall issue a license to operate a school

3-22  for training drivers or to act as an instructor for such a school, if [it] the

3-23  department is satisfied that the applicant has met the qualifications

3-24  required by NRS 483.700 to 483.780, inclusive.

3-25    2.  The license is valid for 5 years after the date of issuance, unless

3-26  canceled, suspended or revoked by the department and, except as otherwise

3-27  provided in subsection 3, may be renewed subject to the same conditions as

3-28  the original license.

3-29    3.  The department may renew the license of an instructor of a school

3-30  for training drivers if, when he submits his application for the renewal of

3-31  his license, he provides evidence satisfactory to the department that, during

3-32  the period of the license, he completed [at least six credits of continuing

3-33  education by attending:

3-34    (a) A course of instruction relating to the training of drivers approved

3-35  by the department; or

3-36    (b) A state or national conference approved by the department of

3-37  education for credit for continuing education.

3-38    4.  In determining whether an instructor has complied with the

3-39  provisions of subsection 3, the department shall award one credit of

3-40  continuing education for the completion of each 15 hours of:

3-41    (a) Classroom instruction in a course specified in paragraph (a) of

3-42  subsection 3; or

3-43    (b) Attendance at a conference specified in paragraph (b) of subsection

3-44  3.] training of a type and in an amount prescribed by the department by

3-45  regulation.

3-46    Sec. 4.  Section 5 of chapter 407, Statutes of Nevada 1999, at page

3-47  1926, is hereby repealed.

 

 

4-1    Sec. 5.  1.  This section and section 1 of this act become effective on

4-2  July 1, 2001.

4-3    2.  Sections 2, 3 and 4 of this act become effective on October 1, 2001.

 

4-4  TEXT OF REPEALED SECTION

 

4-5  Section 5 of chapter 407, Statutes of Nevada 1999:

4-6          Sec. 5.  The requirements for continuing education set forth in

4-7  NRS 483.730 do not apply to the renewal of a license of an

4-8  instructor for a school for training drivers before October 1, 2001.

 

4-9  H