Bill Text: NY S05974 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relates to adding a school bus safety component to the pre-licensing driver's education course.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-03-05 - referred to transportation [S05974 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S05974-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5974
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                       May 9, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced by Sens. PHILLIPS, RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to adding a
          school bus safety component to the  pre-licensing  driver's  education
          course
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) and  paragraphs  (b)  and
     2  (d)  of  subdivision  4  of  section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law,
     3  subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 97 of  the  laws
     4  of 2016 and paragraphs (b) and (d) as amended by chapter 585 of the laws
     5  of  2002,  are  amended  and  a  new paragraph (c-3) is added to read as
     6  follows:
     7    (i) Upon submission of an application  for  a  driver's  license,  the
     8  applicant  shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit evidence
     9  of passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic,  the
    10  laws  relating to driving while ability is impaired and while intoxicat-
    11  ed, under the overpowering influence of "Road Rage", or "Work Zone Safe-
    12  ty" awareness as defined by the commissioner, the law relating to  exer-
    13  cising  due  care  to avoid colliding with a parked, stopped or standing
    14  authorized emergency vehicle or hazard vehicle pursuant to section elev-
    15  en hundred forty-four-a of this chapter, the ability to read and compre-
    16  hend traffic signs and symbols, school bus safety and such other matters
    17  as the commissioner may prescribe,  and  to  satisfactorily  complete  a
    18  course  prescribed  by  the commissioner of not less than four hours and
    19  not more than five hours, consisting of classroom  driver  training  and
    20  highway  safety  instruction  or the equivalent thereof. Such test shall
    21  include at least seven  written  questions  concerning  the  effects  of
    22  consumption  of alcohol or drugs on the ability of a person to operate a
    23  motor vehicle and the legal and financial  consequences  resulting  from
    24  violations of section eleven hundred ninety-two of this chapter, prohib-
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11294-01-7
        S. 5974                             2
     1  iting  the  operation  of  a  motor vehicle while under the influence of
     2  alcohol or drugs. Such test shall include one or more written  questions
     3  concerning  the  devastating  effects of "Road Rage" on the ability of a
     4  person  to  operate  a  motor vehicle and the legal and financial conse-
     5  quences resulting from assaulting, threatening or interfering  with  the
     6  lawful  conduct  of  another person legally using the roadway. Such test
     7  shall include one or more questions concerning the potential dangers  to
     8  persons  and  equipment  resulting  from the unsafe operation of a motor
     9  vehicle in a work zone. Such test may  include  one  or  more  questions
    10  concerning  the  law  for  exercising due care to avoid colliding with a
    11  parked, stopped or standing vehicle pursuant to section  eleven  hundred
    12  forty-four-a  of this chapter. Such test shall include one or more ques-
    13  tions concerning school bus safety. Such test shall be  administered  by
    14  the  commissioner.  The commissioner shall cause the applicant to take a
    15  vision test and a test for color blindness. Upon passage of  the  vision
    16  test,  the  application may be accepted and the application fee shall be
    17  payable.
    18    (b) Upon successful completion of the requirements set forth in  para-
    19  graph  (a)  of  this subdivision which shall include an alcohol and drug
    20  education component as described in paragraph (c) of this subdivision, a
    21  "Road Rage" awareness component as described in paragraph (c-1) of  this
    22  subdivision [and], a "Work Zone Safety" awareness component as described
    23  in paragraph (c-2) of this subdivision, and a "school bus safety" compo-
    24  nent  as  described  in paragraph (c-3) of this subdivision, the commis-
    25  sioner shall cause the applicant to take a road test in a representative
    26  vehicle of a type prescribed by the commissioner which shall  be  appro-
    27  priate to the type of license for which application is made, except that
    28  the commissioner may waive the road test requirements for certain class-
    29  es  of  applicants. The commissioner shall have the power to establish a
    30  program to allow persons other  than  employees  of  the  department  to
    31  conduct  road  tests  in  representative  vehicles  when  such tests are
    32  required for applicants to obtain a class A, B or C  license.    If  she
    33  chooses to do so, she shall set forth her reasons in writing and conduct
    34  a  public hearing on the matter. She shall only establish such a program
    35  after holding the public hearing.
    36    (c-3) "School  bus  safety"  component.  (i)  The  commissioner  shall
    37  provide  in the pre-licensing course, set forth in paragraph (b) of this
    38  subdivision, a mandatory component in "school bus safety" education as a
    39  prerequisite for obtaining a license to operate  a  motor  vehicle.  The
    40  purpose  of  the  component  is  to educate prospective licensees on the
    41  dangers of passing a school bus in violation of section  eleven  hundred
    42  seventy-four  of  this  chapter, to reduce the number of such incidents,
    43  and to promote school bus safety.
    44    (ii) The commissioner shall establish a curriculum for the "school bus
    45  safety" component which shall include, but shall not be limited  to,  an
    46  overview  of traffic laws governing overtaking and passing school buses,
    47  specifically section eleven hundred seventy-four of this chapter.
    48    (iii) In developing such curriculum, the  commissioner  shall  consult
    49  with the commissioner of transportation.
    50    (d) The commissioner shall make available for distribution upon regis-
    51  tration  at  each location where the pre-licensing course will be given,
    52  instructional handbooks outlining the content of the  entire  curriculum
    53  of  the  pre-licensing  course  including the information required to be
    54  included in the course pursuant to paragraphs (c),  (c-1)  [and],  (c-2)
    55  and  (c-3)  of this subdivision. The commissioner shall also provide for
    56  the additional training of the instructors necessary for  the  competent
        S. 5974                             3
     1  instruction  of the alcohol and drug education [and], "Road Rage" aware-
     2  ness [and], "Work Zone Safety" awareness and "school bus safety" subject
     3  matters of the pre-licensing course.
     4    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.