SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 378 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 9, 2007 Establishing a joint subcommittee to study revision of the curriculum for teen driver training programs. Report. ---------- Patron-- O'Brien ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, the vast majority of new drivers in Virginia learn to drive in driver training programs offered either in public and private schools or driver training schools regulated by the Department of Motor Vehicles; and

WHEREAS, it is highly important that the curriculum employed by such programs in training Virginia's teen-age children be of the highest possibly quality and relevance; and

WHEREAS, failure to inculcate into our teenagers the full range of skills, knowledge, habits, and awareness necessary to make them the very safest drivers they can be could have tragic consequences, not only for the teenagers themselves, but for other users of the highways of the Commonwealth as well; and

WHEREAS, it is most appropriate that the members of the General Assembly be afforded an opportunity to participate in the process of making necessary and useful changes in this curriculum; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study revision of the curriculum for teen driver training programs. The joint subcommittee shall have 10 legislative members appointed as follows: four members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and six members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice chairman from among its membership.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the Senate. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services. Technical assistance shall be provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Education. All other agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2007 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $10,000 without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the Senate members or a majority of the House members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2007, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2008 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2007 interim.