Sec. 1001.253. DRIVER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR TRAINING

(a) The commissioner shall establish standards for certification of professional and paraprofessional personnel who conduct driver education programs in driver education schools.

(b) A driver education instructor license authorizing a person to teach or provide behind-the-wheel training may not be issued unless the person has successfully completed six semester hours of driver and traffic safety education or a program of study in driver education approved by the commissioner from an approved driver education school.

(c) A person who holds a driver education instructor license authorizing behind-the-wheel training may not be approved to assist a classroom instructor in the classroom phase of driver education unless the person has successfully completed the three additional semester hours of training required for a classroom instructor or a program of study in driver education approved by the commissioner.

(d) Except as provided by Subsection (g) or Section 1001.254, a driver education instructor license authorizing a person to teach or provide classroom training may not be issued unless the person:

(1) has completed nine semester hours of driver and traffic safety education or a program of study in driver education approved by the commissioner from an approved driver education school; and

(2) holds a teaching certificate and any additional certification required to teach driver education.

(e) A driver education instructor who has completed the educational requirements prescribed by Subsection (d)(1) may not teach instructor training classes unless the instructor has successfully completed a supervising instructor development program consisting of at least six additional semester hours or a program of study in driver education approved by the commissioner that includes administering driver education programs and supervising and administering traffic safety education.

(f) A driver education school may submit for agency approval a curriculum for an instructor development program for driver education instructors. The program must:

(1) be taught by a person who has completed a supervising instructor development program under Subsection (e); and

(2) satisfy the requirements of this section for the particular program or type of training to be provided.

(g) A driver education instructor license authorizing a person to teach or provide classroom training may be issued to a person who satisfies the requirements of Subsection (d)(1) but does not satisfy the requirements of Subsection (d)(2), except that such a license may authorize the license holder to teach or provide classroom training only for a driver education school that is located in a county that has a population of at least 275,000 but not more than 285,000 and is operated by a private primary or secondary school or open-enrollment charter school. This section does not affect any law or school policy that requires a review of criminal history record information.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 6.012(a), eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 820 , Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2011.