H. B. 2503
(By Delegates Prezioso and Stewart)
[Introduced March 8, 1993; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia,
one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding
thereto a new article, designated article six-a, relating to
the creation of a cooperative driver license waiver program
for high school students.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by
adding thereto a new article, designated article six-a, to read
as follows:
ARTICLE 6A. COOPERATIVE DRIVER LICENSE WAIVER PROGRAM.
§18-6A-1. Purpose.
The West Virginia division of public safety in cooperation
with the division of motor vehicles and West Virginia board of
education, may exempt from a facility administered road test
students who have completed an accredited high school driver
education course with a laboratory final grade of a "B" averageor better. Students scoring "C" or less on the laboratory final
grade are required to take the road test.
§18-6A-2. Cooperative waiver program.
(a) The cooperative waiver program is strictly on a school
voluntary basis and is concerned with the driver road skill test
only. The permit test shall continue to be administered by the
division of public safety.
(b) All driver education instructors electing to participate
in the voluntary waiver program must:
(i) Be fully approved in accordance with section two of West
Virginia Driver Education Policy 2422.2 and State School Law 18-
6-3(a); and
(ii) Attend an in-service program conducted and fully
controlled by the division of public safety at the annual WVSDEA
conference.
(c) Instructors involved in this program are immune from any
liability.
§18-6A-3. List of names; certified and submitted.
(a) At the completion of the course, high schools involved
in the cooperative waiver program shall send a list of names to
local state police detachments in their county and the state
board of education, of those students who have successfully
completed the requirements of the waiver program. The list shall
be sent on a school letterhead with school seal and signed by the
principal and driver education instructor.
(b) The list of names shall certify that those high schoolstudents have received a "B" average or better in the laboratory
phase of their driver education program and will receive a green
I-DE-4 card as opposed to the traditional pink card.
(c) Students who have obtained the green card must present
this card to the state police detachment. The division of public
safety may waive the road test and grant the student a license
application.
(d) The division of public safety may reserve the right to
test those students with the green card and spot check any
student receiving a waiver at any time up to the age of eighteen
years.
§18-6A-4. Cooperation of departments.
The division of public safety, the division of motor
vehicles and the state board of education shall cooperate in the
development of this driver license waiver program and are
authorized to promulgate all rules necessary for the operation of
the program.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit the waiver of
driving ability for high school students applying for a drivers
license, if the student has completed a high school accredited
driver education course with a laboratory final grade average of
"B" or better. The division of public safety, motor vehicles and
state board of education are to work together in developing this
waiver program.
This article is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.