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BILL # HB 2265 |
TITLE: NOW: course curriculum; defensive driving schools |
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SPONSOR: Payne |
STATUS: House Engrossed |
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PREPARED BY: Geoffrey Paulsen |
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The bill would require defensive driving school curricula, starting September 1, 2020, to include education on the dangers of driving while using a mobile device, distracted driving, and how to respond to emergency vehicles on the roadway. The bill would also prohibit multiple defensive driving schools that share common ownership from being listed multiple times on the Supreme Court's website or other state-sponsored advertisement.
Estimated Impact
The bill would reduce revenue to the Defensive Driving School Fund by an average of no more than $(82,500) per year.
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) also estimates it would require 1 FTE Position at a cost of $75,000 per year to enforce the bill's provisions.
Defensive driving school is a diversion and education program administered by the AOC and provided by certified independent vendors throughout the state. If an individual is charged with a civil traffic violation, the individual may choose to participate in defensive driving school in lieu of having their case heard in court. If completed successfully, the court will dismiss the civil traffic citation and the Arizona Department of Transportation will not include a record of the citation on the individual's driving record.
Statute requires the Arizona Supreme Court to adopt rules that establish criteria for the certification of qualified defensive driving schools and instructors. According to those rules, defensive driving school can be completed either online or by attending a course in person. According to the AOC, 214 individual schools are certified to provide Defensive Driving School. Of those, AOC reports a total of 49 owners.
Statute does not specify specific certification fees for schools. The Supreme Court currently charges an initial certification fee for new defensive driving schools of $5,000. Every 2 years after a school is certified, the Supreme Court charges a $1,000 school renewal fee.
The bill prohibits multiple schools with a common owner from being listed multiple times on the Supreme Court website or any other state-sponsored advertisement. Because the Supreme Court website is the primary source to find a certified school, it is likely that owners would no longer pay to certify multiple schools. If, as a result, the number of certified schools is reduced from 214 to 49, the Defensive Driving School Fund would see an average annual revenue loss of $(82,500) from recertification fees.
The bill also requires the Supreme Court to enforce the common ownership restriction. AOC estimates this would require 1 new full-time staffer at a cost of $75,000.
Local Government Impact
None
3/20/19