Bill Summary for Bill Number HB05-1235

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB05-1235

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & ENERGY

Votes:

Action Taken:

<none>

09:40 AM -- House Bill 05-1235

Representative Lundberg, prime sponsor, introduced House Bill 05-1235 which authorizes a parent to administer a driver's education or driver's prequalification awareness course to qualify a student to obtain a driver's license. The bill also:

• requires a teaching parent to use a course approved by the Department of Revenue;
• clarifies that a parent does not have to install special equipment; and
• sets related course standards.

The following people testified:

09:44 AM -- Wayne Tully, representing National Driver Training Institute, CEO and President, testified in support of the bill. He believes preserving parental rights to be involved in the driver education practice of their teens. Mr. Tully provided the following attachments:

Attachment A - Colorado Driver Handbook;
Attachment B - Letter from the Department of Revenue to Mr. Wayne Tully, National Driver Training Institute, dated February 17, 2004;
Attachment C - Rules and Regulations for Commercial Driving Schools and/or Approved Driver Education Courses, Including the Basic Operator's Driving Skill Testing (BOST) Program;
Attachment D - enacted House Bill 04-1017;
Attachment E - National Driver Training Institute brochure;
Attachment F - a series of newspaper articles related to the Colorado Department of Revenue; and
Attachment G - Study of the Effectiveness of Basic Driver Improvement Courses, an October 2002 report to the Florida Legislature.

09:49 AM

Mr. Tully indicated that Colorado does not require certification for driving educators. He also indicated that many of the companies do not carry professional liability insurance. He recounted background information on recent legislation related to driving schools. Mr. Tully and Representative Lundberg responded to committee questions. The committee discussed various issues related to the urban and rural driving, including driving experiences. The committee also indicated that it had discussed this issue before the Transportation Legislation Review Committee (TLRC) last interim, and a related bill was passed last session. Representative Borodkin feels as though that bill allowed parents to be involved in the driving instruction for their children.

10:14 AM

Representative Lundberg responded to committee questions. He said he believes that parent driving education programs should be stressed to the public, to encourage parents to be a part of their children's driver education. He also believes that this would allow more competition in the driver education programs that are offered.

10:22 AM -- Trean Gossen, representing the Concerned Parents of Colorado, a homeschool teaching organization, testified in support of the bill. She responded to committee questions.

10:25 AM -- Diane Reimer, representing the Department of Revenue (DOR), offered to clarify the issue. She noted that the department has tried to work on this issue through the TLRC. She indicated that the department has had some concerns with on-line driver's programs.

10:28 AM

Ms. Reimer responded to questions from committee members about rules issued by the DOR. Representative Lundberg discussed conversations he has had with the department. Representative Pommer made comments about the testimony that had been in the morning. Representative Lundberg made further comments about possible work on the bill in the future.

10:37 AM

Committee members discussed responses they have received from constituents in regard to the bill. Representative Cadman discussed issues around parent-directed curriculum.

10:39 AM

Representative Pommer determined to take the bill off of the table to be laid over and assist Representative Lundberg in obtaining a deadline extension.