PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 09-12-066.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Driver training school program -- Administration and enforcement.
Hearing Location(s): Highways-Licenses Building, Conference Room 413, 1125 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA (check in at counter on first floor), on August 25, 2009, at 2:00 p.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: August 26, 2009.
Submit Written Comments to: Clark J. Holloway, P.O. Box 9030, Olympia, WA 98507-9030, e-mail cholloway@dol.wa.gov, fax (360) 586-8351, by August 24, 2009.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Amending WAC 308-108-020 to clarify definitions and update the definition of "branch office" to conform to 2009 legislation; WAC 308-108-025 to update fees; WAC 308-108-070 to clarify background check requirements; WAC 308-108-080 to clarify instructor's license application requirements; WAC 308-108-090 to update instructor training requirements; WAC 308-108-110 to revise requirements for traffic safety education vehicles; WAC 308-108-120 to revise written policy requirements and update record-keeping requirements to conform to 2009 legislation; WAC 308-108-140 to revise reporting requirements; WAC 308-108-150 to revise curriculum schedule requirements; WAC 308-108-160 to revise student in-vehicle driver observation requirements; WAC 308-108-170 to clarify requirements for establishing student accomplishment; and creating a new section WAC 308-108-165, prohibiting use of wireless communication devices during instruction.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Necessary to update driver training school program rules to account for recent legislation and make administrative enhancements.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 46.82.290.
Statute Being Implemented: Chapter 46.82 RCW.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Department of licensing, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Clark J. Holloway, Highways-Licenses Building, Olympia, Washington, (360) 902-3846; Implementation and Enforcement: Doron Maniece, Highways-Licenses Building, Olympia, Washington, (360) 902-3850.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. A small business economic impact statement is not required pursuant to RCW 19.85.025(3).
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. RCW 34.05.328 does not apply to this proposed rule under the provisions of RCW 34.05.328 (5)(a)(i).
July 22, 2009
D. Maniece
Assistant Director
Driver Training SchoolsDraft 2.0
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 07-01-069, filed 12/18/06)
WAC 308-108-020
Definitions.
The definitions of this
section apply throughout this chapter unless the context
clearly requires otherwise:
(1) "Behind the wheel instruction" means that portion of
a traffic safety education course that consists of on-street,
dual-controlled vehicle operation or similar instruction given
under simulated conditions that has ((had prior approval of))
been approved by the director.
(2) "Branch office" or "branch classroom" means a facility within a thirty-five mile radius of a driver training school's established place of business, except where the thirty-five mile radius requirement has been waived or extended by the department as provided by RCW 46.82.360 (6)(c), that has been approved by the department for use by the driver training school.
(3) "Engage in a course of instruction" means to enroll in, schedule, collect a fee for, or sign an application for an instruction permit in order to attend or take part in a driver training education course.
(4) "Inactive Instructor" means an instructor with a valid Washington instructor's license who is no longer employed by or otherwise associated with a licensed driver training school.
(5) "Instructor-trainer" means a currently licensed
instructor who is training ((driving)) traffic safety
education instructors and who has not less than:
(a) One thousand hours of experience in providing traffic safety education in the past year;
(b) Five years of previous experience in providing traffic safety education; or
(c) One thousand hours or five years experience in the field of traffic safety and proof of training acceptable to the director in how to teach and train others, and not less than three hundred hours of previous experience in training others.
(6) "Records" means all documents, papers and reports required to own a driver training school, including but not limited to:
(a) Vehicle registration, title, insurance policy, and maintenance information;
(b) Business financial documents, such as franchise agreements, corporate documents, bank records, partnership agreements, lease agreements, and purchase and sale agreements; and
(c) Student classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction reports.
(7) "Student" means any person ((attending a)) enrolled
in an approved driver training education course who is at
least fifteen years of age.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-020, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-020, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
| Title of Fee | Fee |
| Driver training school license original application | $500.00 |
| Driver training school license renewal application | 250.00 |
| Driver training school license transfer | 500.00 |
| Branch office or branch classroom original application | 250.00 |
| Branch office or branch classroom renewal application | 125.00 |
| Instructor's license original application | (( 125.00 |
| Instructor's license renewal application | (( 100.00 |
| Duplicate license | 10.00 |
| Knowledge and/or skill examination | 25.00 |
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-025, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07.]
(1) An applicant for an instructor's license must complete the check at the time of initial application or, for a currently licensed instructor who has not completed such check within the past five years, at the time of the next application for a license renewal.
(2) An owner must complete the check at the time of initial application for a driver training school license or, for an owner of a currently licensed school who has not completed such check within the past five years, at the time of the next application for a license renewal.
(3) A person affiliated with a school who has contact with students must complete the check at the time of initial affiliation with the school or, for a person who is currently affiliated with a school who has not completed such check within the past five years, within the sixty-days prior to the next application for a license renewal for the school. A person who must complete the check under this subsection at the time of initial affiliation with a school may begin duties following the department's notice that it has received an acceptable local criminal background check through the Washington state patrol criminal identification system, pending the outcome of the fingerprint check using the fingerprint card.
(4) For the purpose of chapter 46.82 RCW, a person affiliated with a school is considered to be a person directly or indirectly interested in the driver training school's business.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-070, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07.]
(a) A moving traffic violation is an offense listed as a moving violation in WAC 308-104-160. The department will determine the number of moving traffic violations received by an applicant within a given time period based on the date(s) that the violation(s) occurred.
(b) ((An)) A drug or alcohol-related traffic violation
will be deemed to have occurred if ((within the seven-year
period immediately preceding the time of application an
alcohol-related traffic incident occurred that)) it resulted
in:
(i) A conviction or finding that a traffic infraction was committed for violation of RCW 46.61.502, 46.61.503, 46.61.504, 46.61.519, 46.61.5195, 46.61.520 (1)(a), 46.61.522 (1)(b), or 46.61.5249, or a substantially similar law, administrative regulation, local law, ordinance, regulation, or resolution of a political subdivision of this state, the federal government, or any other state;
(ii) An administrative action imposed under RCW 46.20.3101;
(iii) An administrative action imposed under RCW 46.25.090 (1)(a), (b), or (e); or
(iv) Entry into a deferred prosecution agreement for an alcohol-dependency based case.
(((c) A driver's license suspension, cancellation,
revocation, or denial will be deemed to exist within the
preceding five years if any such suspension, cancellation,
revocation, or denial has been in effect at any time within
the five-year period immediately preceding the time of
application.))
(2) The instructor's license applicant must submit satisfactory evidence of completion of a course of instruction as approved by the director in the training of drivers at time of initial application.
(3) For instructor's licenses that expire on or after July 1, 2007, each application for renewal of an instructor's license must be accompanied by proof of no less than eight hours of continuing professional development as approved by the director.
(4) Application for initial or renewal of an instructor's license is not complete until the applicant passes any examination requirement for licensure under RCW 46.82.320(1) or 46.82.330 (2)(e).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-080, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-080, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(2) To ensure the quality of the training given, the instruction course must:
(a) Be provided by, and under the direct supervision of:
(i) An institution of higher learning accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges or by an accrediting association recognized by the higher education board;
(ii) A licensed private vocational school as that term is defined by RCW 28C.10.020(7); or
(iii) An instructor-trainer.
(b) Be not less than one hundred hours in total length and consist of:
(i) Not less than ((fifty)) forty hours of instruction in
behind the wheel teaching methods;
(ii) Not less than ((ten)) twenty hours of supervised
practice in behind the wheel teaching of driving techniques;
(iii) Not less than forty hours total of instruction that includes all of the following areas:
(A) Education and special education;
(B) Driver education teacher, instructor, or trainer skills training;
(C) Classroom teaching techniques;
(D) Communication skills;
(E) Teaching the concepts of driving and traffic safety to others;
(F) Educational methods, theories and concepts in teaching a driver education course, and knowledge of all aspects of the driving task;
(G) Developing instructional materials and activities that aid student learning and performance;
(H) Defining and describing the nature of the driving task on public highways;
(I) Establishing and maintaining classroom organization;
(J) Managing enrollment, student scheduling, student records, and required reports; and
(K) Planning a course of student instruction with outlines, lesson plans, and student performance evaluation tools.
(3) The department must approve an instructor training course curriculum before use by an instructor-trainer.
(4) Any revision to an approved instructor training course curriculum used by an instructor-trainer must be submitted for review and approval by the department no less than thirty days prior to its use.
(5) The department may consider other instructional methods, instruction providers, or academic instruction in lieu of those listed in subsection (2) of this section.
(6) ((Before an instructor training course is given, the
instructor-trainer or owner must submit a list of the dates,
times, and locations for the training, the names of the
persons to be trained, and the name of the instructor-trainer
who will be providing training.
(7))) The department may monitor instructor education courses at any time to ensure that the instructor training requirements of this section are being satisfied.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 07-01-070, § 308-108-090, filed 12/18/06, effective 9/1/07; 05-16-061, § 308-108-090, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(a) Carry a minimum twenty-piece ((Occupational Safety
and Health Act (OSHA))) approved first aid kit, fire
extinguisher safely secured in the vehicle and fully charged,
and ((emergency strobe light or)) a reflective ((triangles))
triangle or two eighteen-inch traffic cones;
(b) ((Pass)) Maintain an annual vehicle inspection form
meeting minimum equipment and safety criteria established by
the department that has been conducted by or for the school
owner; and
(c) Be used exclusively for driver training purposes at all times when student instruction is being given.
(2) Records of all traffic safety education vehicles used by a commercial driver training school shall:
(a) Be maintained at the school's primary place of business; and
(b) Include the original insurance policy or policies covering the vehicles and copies of the current vehicle registrations and annual vehicle safety inspection report.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-110, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-110, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(2) Each driver training school shall adopt and provide for its customers a written policy that includes, but is not limited to:
(a) Enrollment criteria;
(b) Student fees and student fee refunds;
(c) Course failures and course repeats;
(d) The minimum and maximum course duration;
(e) Refusing to allow a student to attend a driver training education course before the age of fifteen years;
(f) Refusing to enroll new students in a driver education course after the first three classes have been completed; and
(g) Information about Washington's intermediate licensing requirements, restrictions, and penalties and a place for parents to initial indicating that they have received the information.
(3) Driver training school owners and instructors shall maintain individual student records on forms provided by the department or on substantially similar forms that have been approved by the department. Student records shall document for each student:
(a) Course attendance, starting, and ending dates;
(b) The dates and times for each session of classroom and behind the wheel instruction;
(c) Classroom and behind the wheel progress and time involvement or flowchart;
(d) Classroom and behind the wheel performance evaluation results;
(e) The name and signature of the instructor who provided each session of classroom and behind the wheel instruction; and
(f) That both the student and parent received intermediate license requirements, restriction, and penalty information.
(4) Student records must be maintained by a driver
training school for the past ((five)) three years from the
date instruction has ended.
(5) Driver training school records that must be
maintained by a driver training school for the past ((five))
three years, include but are not limited to:
(a) The school's written curriculum guide;
(b) Insurance policies;
(c) Collision or injury reports;
(d) Traffic safety education vehicle registration records; and
(e) Records of any traffic violations committed by an instructor employed by the school.
(6) Upon the sale or other transfer of a school by its owner, the school and student records shall be transferred to the new owner and become the property and responsibility of the new owner.
(7) The driving school owner must notify the department within thirty days of closing the school and submit all unused traffic safety certificates and student course completion reports to the department.
(8) Class size must not exceed city fire code requirements for the classroom.
(9) Traffic safety education classroom hours shall not overlap between two or more classes.
(10) Failure to renew a school license before it expires will put all related branch office or branch classroom licenses into an inactive status.
(11) Student records are subject to department audit and inspection anytime after ninety days of the school's initial licensing, or as soon as practicable for the department.
(12) Branch office or classroom locations must display an official license issued by the department in a conspicuous place.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-120, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-120, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(1) Report to the department within ten days any driving or traffic-related incidents involving an instructor employed by the school, including but not limited to:
(a) Conviction for a traffic violation;
(b) Finding that a traffic infraction has been committed;
(c) Entry into a deferred prosecution agreement; or
(d) Suspension, revocation, cancellation, or denial of driving privileges.
(2) Report to the department within twenty-four hours following any traffic safety education vehicle involved in a traffic collision for which an accident report must be or has been made under the provisions of RCW 46.52.030. Prior to the return to service of any traffic safety education vehicle that has been involved in a collision, the school owner must forward a vehicle inspection report to the department.
(3) Forward to the department by the seventh day of each month, a report of student enrollment in traffic safety education courses provided by the school, including but not limited to:
(a) The start date and end date of any courses provided by the school that are initiated during the reporting period, including the total number of students enrolled in each course;
(b) The names and certificate numbers of all instructors providing classroom and/or behind the wheel instruction for each course;
(c) The names and instruction permit or driver's license numbers or dates of birth of all students enrolled in each course, along with the identifying number of the traffic safety education certificate reserved for each student for issuance upon successful completion of the course.
(4) Not less than annually, ((forward to the department))
have completed and have on file at the main school location a
vehicle inspection report as required under WAC 308-108-110
(1)(b) for all traffic safety education vehicles in use by the
school.
(5) Report to the department within ten days any new vehicles used by the school for instructional purposes or any vehicles taken out of service.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-140, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-140, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(1) Classroom and behind the wheel instruction that is complementary. This means that classroom instruction is integrated in a timely manner with behind the wheel instruction;
(2) Having students under age eighteen complete no more than two hours of classroom instruction during any single day, except for make-up classes which shall be no more than two additional hours of class not to exceed three total make-up classes during the traffic safety education course, and no more than one hour of behind the wheel instruction during any single day;
(3) For students under the age of eighteen to meet the traffic safety education requirement of RCW 46.20.100, instruction that:
(a) Includes not less than thirty hours of classroom
instruction; ((and))
(b) Meets the behind the wheel instruction and observation requirements of WAC 308-108-160;
(c) Consists of at least one hour minimum and no more than two hours maximum of class session during a single day, except when adding a make-up class as provided in subsection (2) of this section, in which case classroom instruction must not exceed four hours in a single day;
(d) With the exception of make-up lessons, ensures that all students in a classroom session must be on the same lesson. Open enrollment or self-paced instruction is not permitted; and
(e) Ensures that each traffic safety education classroom course is at least fifty-percent instructor-led verbal instruction consisting of:
(i) In-person training;
(ii) Teacher and student interaction; and
(iii) Questions and answers;
(4) Classroom and behind the wheel instruction in a
course that is scheduled for not less than thirty days ((and
not more than twenty-six)) in which lessons must be in
contiguous weeks ((in length));
(5) ((Student enrollment in and attendance of classes no
later than the third class session after the start date of the
course. Once enrollment is closed, no new students may be
enrolled in that traffic safety education course or
participate in the classroom instruction or behind the wheel
instruction and observation for that course)) Students may not
enroll in a traffic safety education course after the third
class session of any given course;
(6) ((Arrangements for any missed classroom sessions to
be made up within the maximum twenty-six week length of the
course.)) All make-up assignments and instruction must be
equivalent to the instruction given during the missed
sessions;
(7) Distributing to students instructional material
developed by the department and the federally designated organ
procurement organization for Washington state relating to
organ and tissue donation awareness education; ((and))
(8) Review and approval of the local school curriculum by the department as part of the initial application for a school license. To help ensure that minimum standards of instruction are met, the local school curriculum must include but is not limited to the following:
(a) Comprehensive elements of classroom and behind the wheel instruction as defined by the department;
(b) Comprehensive written and behind the wheel examinations, to include:
(i) Written examinations as submitted to and approved by the department; and
(ii) Behind the wheel examination criteria as approved by the department;
(c) A flow chart that indicates how the classroom and
behind the wheel instruction are integrated; ((and))
(d) Information on the state of Washington's intermediate license requirements, restrictions, violations, and sanctions for violation of these requirements; and
(e) A designated time for a parent night that is no less than one hour, which shall not be a part of the thirty hours required for student training, and must include:
(i) Instruction on the parent responsibilities and the importance of parent involvement with their teen driver;
(ii) Information on intermediate license laws, restrictions, and sanctions;
(iii) An introduction to the parent guide to teen driving; and
(iv) A questions and answers period; and
(9) No more than thirty-five students are to be enrolled in any single class.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-150, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-150, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(a) Behind the wheel instruction consisting of:
(i) Not less than six hours of on-street behind the wheel vehicle operation under the direct supervision and direction of a licensed instructor; or
(ii) Five or more hours of on-street behind the wheel vehicle operation and four or more hours of driving simulation instruction under the direct supervision and direction of a licensed instructor; and
(b) ((One)) Four or more hours of additional in-vehicle
driver observation.
(2) Behind the wheel instruction must be documented on a form provided or approved by the department, including the time the instruction was conducted, the signature of the instructor, and initials of the student.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 07-01-070, § 308-108-160, filed 12/18/06, effective 9/1/07; 05-16-061, § 308-108-160, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(2) In order to receive a traffic safety education certificate, all students under the age of eighteen must satisfactorily complete all portions of the course of instruction included in the student curriculum as approved by the driver instructors' advisory committee.
(3) In order to satisfactorily complete a school's driver
training course, all students under the age of eighteen must
pass a comprehensive driving knowledge and skills test or
tests ((meeting)) that deals with all or many of the relevant
details of the course curriculum that meets the standards
established by the department.
(4) Each driver training school must assess the needs and progress of students and give appropriate direction for additional driving experience and/or parent guided practice.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290, 46.82.310, 46.82.320, 46.82.330, and 46.82.340. 07-01-069, § 308-108-170, filed 12/18/06, effective 1/18/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.82.290. 05-16-061, § 308-108-170, filed 7/29/05, effective 8/29/05.]
(2) This section does not apply to voice activated GPS devices or classroom devices that are being used as part of an approved curriculum. This section also does not preclude the use of devices to report illegal activity, summon medical or other emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property, as permitted under RCW 46.61.667.
(3) An unreasonable risk associated with a failure to obey this section is a violation of RCW 18.235.130(4).
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