Bill Text: GA HB1036 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Driver Services, Department of; measure effectiveness of online courses; provisions

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-02 - House Second Readers [HB1036 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2009-HB1036-Introduced.html

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10 LC 34 2436

House Bill 1036

By: Representatives Rice of the 51st and Powell of the 29th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the restoration of licenses to persons completing defensive driving courses, so as to authorize the Department of Driver Services to implement a pilot program to measure the effectiveness and security of online defensive driver courses; to provide for a report to the General Assembly; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the restoration of licenses to persons completing defensive driving courses, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"40-5-83.1.

(a) The purpose of this article is to improve and promote greater safety upon the highways and streets of this state and to improve the attitude and driving habits of drivers who accumulate traffic accident and motor vehicle conviction records.

(b) States using online defensive driver courses for persons in driver improvement clinics have documented such courses' effectiveness. However, questions have arisen relating to whether online defensive driver courses offer the appropriate course content and security verification.

(c) There is a need to examine these issues to determine if legislative action is needed to allow for the authorization of online defensive driver courses, including whether legislation should be proposed in areas including, but not limited to, the use of keyboard biometrics and voice biometrics to ensure online identity verification, the inclusion of civil and criminal penalties for those attempting to falsify identity, and the creation of a data base to determine if participating in an online defensive driver course reduces crash or violation recidivism at the same or better levels than courses conducted in a classroom.

(d) The department is authorized to establish a six-month pilot program to determine the effectiveness of providing online defensive driver courses and the best way to ensure identity and data base security. Upon completion of the pilot program, the department shall make a report to the General Assembly along with recommendations as to the viability of incorporating online defensive driving courses into the approved curriculum of driver improvement clinics and the effectiveness of any security methods. The department may require any licensed online defensive driver program to utilize security technology including technology developed after the initial licensing of the program."

SECTION 2.

This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2010.

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.