HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1736

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to commercial driving instructors.

Brief Description:  Revising regulation of commercial driving instructors.

Sponsors:  Representatives Horn, Cairnes, Hickel, Mitchell, L. Thomas and Thompson.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  2/21/95, 3/6/95 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 26 members:  Representatives K. Schmidt, Chairman; Benton, Vice Chairman; Mitchell, Vice Chairman; Skinner, Vice Chairman; R. Fisher, Ranking Minority Member; Hatfield, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Blanton; Brown; Buck; Cairnes; Chandler; Chopp; Elliot; Hankins; Horn; Johnson; Koster; McMahan; Ogden; Quall; Robertson; Romero; D. Schmidt; Scott and Tokuda.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786-7304).

Background:  Commercial driving schools offering instruction for teenagers must hire teachers certified by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to teach the classroom portion of the course.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  A person who qualifies under administrative rule to teach the classroom and laboratory phases must pay a $10 exam fee.

Instead of a teaching certificate, a person who wants to teach driver's education to teenagers in a classroom must hold a valid instructor's license, and must complete 1,000 hours of behind-the-wheel teaching and a course of 80 hours in instructor's training approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI).  He or she must also pass a qualifying exam administered by SPI.

Instructors who are not currently required to undergo a background check, and who teach students under the age of 18, will be checked for prior criminal convictions or pending charges.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill includes a background check for those not already covered by other statutes.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill permits competent instructors who do not have a teaching certificate to teach the classroom portion of driver's education classes.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Daniel Lilleness, Washington Professional Driver Education Association; and Tom Harris, Sears Driving School.