HF 203 (LSB 1216HV (1) 90)

HOUSE FILE 203

BY  COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 26)

(COMPANION TO SF 157 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION)

A BILL FOR

An Act authorizing certain persons to administer the final field test of an approved driver education course.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.178, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  Every public school district in Iowa shall offer or make available to all students residing in the school district, or Iowa students attending a nonpublic school or receiving competent private instruction or independent private instruction as defined in section 299A.1, in the district, an approved course in driver education. The receiving district shall be the school district responsible for making driver education available to a student participating in open enrollment under section 282.18. The courses may be offered at sites other than at the public school, including nonpublic school facilities within the public school districts. An approved course offered during the summer months, on Saturdays, after regular school hours during the regular terms or partly in one term or summer vacation period and partly in the succeeding term or summer vacation period, as the case may be, shall satisfy the requirements of this section to the same extent as an approved course offered during the regular school hours of the school term. A student who successfully completes and obtains certification in an approved course in driver education or an approved course in motorcycle education may, upon proof of such fact, be excused from any field test which the student would otherwise be required to take in demonstrating the student’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. A student shall not be excused from any field test if a parent, guardian, or instructor requests that a test be administered. A final field test prior to a student’s completion of an approved course shall be administered by a person qualified as a classroom driver education instructor and certified to provide street and or highway driving instruction under paragraph “b”, subparagraph (2). A person qualified as a classroom driver education instructor but not certified to provide street and highway driving instruction may administer the final field test if accompanied by another person qualified to provide street and highway driving instruction.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, a student driver can complete an approved driver education course which consists of both classroom instruction and street or highway driving instruction. Prior to completion of the course, a final field test must be administered by a person qualified as a classroom driver education instructor and certified to provide street and highway driving instruction.
   To be qualified as a classroom driver education instructor, Code section 321.178 requires a person to have satisfied the educational requirements for a teaching license at the elementary or secondary level and hold a valid license to teach driver education in Iowa public schools. To be qualified to provide street or highway driving instruction, a person must be certified by the department of transportation and authorized by the board of educational examiners. However, if the person is a peace officer with five or more years of experience, or a retired peace officer who holds a driver’s license that is valid for more than two years from the date of issuance, the person is not required to be authorized by the board of educational examiners.
   This bill strikes the provisions relating to who may administer a final field test and authorizes a person who is qualified to provide street or highway driving instruction under current law to administer a final field test.