OUT-OF-STATE DRIVER TRAINING & TESTING                                           S.B. 977 & 978:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bills 977 and 978 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Steven Bieda (S.B. 977)

               Senator Tom Casperson (S.B. 978)

Committee:  Transportation

CONTENT

Senate Bill 977 would amend the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act to allow a valid commercial learner's permit issued to a truck driver training student by a state other than Michigan to satisfy the requirement that a driver education provider verify that a prospective student has a valid temporary instruction permit issued by the Secretary of State before the provider provides behind-the-wheel driver education course instruction to the student.

Senate Bill 978 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:

-- Require the Department of State to establish a pilot program that would provide for the vehicle group designation testing of an individual who possessed a valid commercial license permit issued by a state other than Michigan.

-- Require the pilot program to continue until the Department adopted official commercial driver license curriculum requirements for a person providing education to individuals seeking a vehicle group designation to qualify to provide the testing requirement to those individuals.

Under the bill, an individual who held a valid commercial license permit issued by another state would not be eligible for vehicle group designation testing in Michigan unless both of the following were satisfied:

-- The individual had successfully completed a truck driver training curriculum that had been approved by the Department and provided by a person approved to provide truck driver training under the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act.

-- The state that issued the commercial license permit is a participant in an electronic national commercial driver examination reporting system in which Michigan is also a participant on the bill's effective date.

Each bill would take effect 90 days after it was enacted.

Senate Bill 977 is tie-barred to Senate Bill 978.

MCL 256.675 (S.B. 977)                                            Legislative Analyst:  Drew Krogulecki

Proposed MCL 257.312j (S.B. 978)

FISCAL IMPACT

The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  5-31-16                                                    Fiscal Analyst:  Joe Carrasco

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.