DRIVER IMPROVEMENT COURSE S.B. 1066 (S-2):
FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 1066 (Substitute S-2 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator John Pappageorge
Committee: Transportation
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:
-- Permit an individual who was issued a citation for a moving violation to choose to attend a basic driver improvement course.
-- Require the court to dismiss an individual's citation, and provide that points could not be entered on his or her driving record, if the individual completed a basic driver improvement course and paid a fine and costs ordered by the court.
-- Provide that an individual would be ineligible to take a driver improvement course if he or she were operating a commercial vehicle; if the violation were a criminal or a reckless driving offense; if he or she had attended a basic driver improvement course within the previous year or had attended three or more such courses; or if other conditions applied.
-- Require a person taking a basic driver improvement course to pay a fee of up to $100 and, if applicable obtain a certificate demonstrating successful course completion.
-- Permit the Secretary of State to charge a fee for the certificates, and require the proceeds to be deposited into a proposed "Basic Driver Improvement Course Fund".
-- Require the Secretary of State to maintain a database of those who had attended a basic driver improvement course and those who had successfully completed such a course.
MCL 257.743 et al. Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker
FISCAL IMPACT
According to the Department of State, it would assess a fee for the certificates that would be issued to people who had successfully completed the proposed basic driver improvement course. It is anticipated that these new fees would cover the costs to the Department associated with maintaining the computerized database of individuals who had attended a course. The amount of fee revenue and the costs of maintaining the database are indeterminate and dependent on the number of individuals who would complete a course.
People choosing to take a basic driver improvement course would have to pay the cost of the certificate issued by the Secretary of State in addition to the cost of the course. The revenue raised from the course fee would go toward the costs of development and operation of the course, which likely would be contracted through the Department of State.
The bill also would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on the district courts. The bill would require the courts to determine eligibility for the proposed course, and would add processing time to the resolution of citations. The current Supreme Court guidelines for civil infractions recommend that 90% be resolved within 35 days, which would be difficult under this bill. Additional administrative costs to the district courts could be partially offset by a decrease in the number of hearings related to these types of infractions.
Date Completed: 3-5-08 Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco/Stephanie Yu
floor\sb1066 Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb1066/0708