S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5191
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 27, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, the education law and the
insurance law, in relation to requiring a uniform curriculum for acci-
dent prevention courses; to repeal certain provisions of the vehicle
and traffic law relating thereto; and providing for the repeal of
certain provisions of the vehicle and traffic law upon expiration
thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
"Davina's driver accountability law".
§ 2. Section 399-c of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter
290 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
§ 399-c. Approval by the commissioner. 1. The commissioner must
approve an accident prevention course before any person attending and
successfully completing such course may qualify to receive mandatory
insurance reduction benefits in accordance with subsection (a) of
section two thousand three hundred thirty-six of the insurance law. The
commissioner shall base the decision to approve a course upon the
requirements set forth in this article and any additional requirements
as the commissioner deems necessary.
2. (A) (I) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY CONTRARY PROVISION OF SUBDIVISION ONE
OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, NO LATER THAN ONE YEAR AFTER
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, ESTABLISH A UNIFORM AND COMPRE-
HENSIVE ACCIDENT PREVENTION COURSE CURRICULUM FOR USE BY ALL SPONSORING
AGENCIES, DELIVERY AGENCIES AND INSTRUCTORS IN THE STATE.
(II) SUCH UNIFORM CURRICULUM SHALL INCLUDE THE LATEST SAFETY TECH-
NIQUES AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, AND, IN ADDITION TO ANY AND ALL
INSTRUCTION REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION OF THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL'S
DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, SHALL INCLUDE INTENSIVE AND RIGOROUS INSTRUC-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08703-02-3
S. 5191 2
TION IN ALL RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF TITLE SEVEN OF THIS CHAPTER AND SUCH
OTHER SUBJECT MATTER AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEEM NECESSARY TO ENSURE
THAT SUCH COURSE IS EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING DRIVER SAFETY AND PREVENTING
AND/OR REDUCING MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.
(III) SUCH UNIFORM CURRICULUM SHALL REQUIRE AT LEAST THREE HUNDRED
TWENTY MINUTES OF INSTRUCTION WITH A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR PRESENT;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO A
PROGRAM APPROVED PURSUANT TO RULE OR REGULATION AUTHORIZING THE DELIVERY
OF COURSES BY INTERNET OR OTHER REMOTE TECHNOLOGY. NOTHING IN THIS
SUBDIVISION SHALL PREVENT THE USE OF AUDIO/VISUAL AIDS AS PART OF THE
COURSE PRESENTATION.
(B) BEGINNING NINETY DAYS AFTER THE INITIAL ADOPTION OF THE COURSE
CURRICULUM PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION AND THEREAFTER, NO PERSON SHALL
QUALIFY TO RECEIVE MANDATORY INSURANCE REDUCTION BENEFITS IN ACCORDANCE
WITH SUBSECTION (A) OF SECTION TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX OF
THE INSURANCE LAW UNLESS SUCH PERSON SHALL HAVE ATTENDED AND SUCCESSFUL-
LY COMPLETED THE ACCIDENT PREVENTION COURSE APPROVED PURSUANT TO THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE COMMISSIONER
MAY, IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, PROMULGATE RULES
OR REGULATIONS AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLETION OF THE
COURSE REMOTELY USING THE INTERNET OR OTHER AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY.
§ 3. Section 399-c of the vehicle and traffic law is REPEALED and a
new section 399-c is added to read as follows:
§ 399-C. UNIFORM COURSE CURRICULUM; ESTABLISHMENT. 1. THE COMMISSIONER
SHALL ESTABLISH A UNIFORM ACCIDENT PREVENTION COURSE CURRICULUM FOR USE
BY ALL SPONSORING AGENCIES, DELIVERY AGENCIES AND INSTRUCTORS IN THE
STATE AS PROVIDED HEREIN.
(A) SUCH UNIFORM CURRICULUM SHALL INCLUDE THE LATEST SAFETY TECHNIQUES
AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, AND, IN ADDITION TO ANY AND ALL INSTRUCTION
REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION OF THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL'S DEFENSIVE DRIV-
ING COURSE, SHALL INCLUDE INTENSIVE AND RIGOROUS INSTRUCTION IN ALL
RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF TITLE SEVEN OF THIS CHAPTER AND SUCH OTHER
SUBJECT MATTER AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEEM NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT
SUCH COURSE IS EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING DRIVER SAFETY AND THE PREVENTION
AND REDUCTION OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.
(B) SUCH UNIFORM CURRICULUM SHALL REQUIRE AT LEAST THREE HUNDRED TWEN-
TY MINUTES OF INSTRUCTION WITH A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR PRESENT; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, THAT SUCH REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO A PROGRAM
APPROVED PURSUANT TO RULE OR REGULATION PROMULGATED PURSUANT TO PARA-
GRAPH (D) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AUTHORIZING THE DELIVERY OF COURSES BY
INTERNET OR OTHER REMOTE TECHNOLOGY. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL
PREVENT THE USE OF AUDIO/VISUAL AIDS AS PART OF THE COURSE PRESENTATION
PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
(C) IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF PARAGRAPHS (A) AND (B) OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSIONER, IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF
EDUCATION, SHALL:
(I) ESTABLISH THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF ALL MANAGERS AND INSTRUC-
TORS PARTICIPATING IN THE DELIVERY OF THE COURSE.
(II) DEVELOP A UNIFORM INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL AND STUDENT WORKBOOKS
AND/OR MANUALS FOR USE BY COURSE PARTICIPANTS.
(III) DEVELOP A UNIFORM COMPLETION CERTIFICATE WHICH IS DESIGNED TO
PREVENT AND IS CAPABLE OF PREVENTING FRAUD AND FORGERY FOR THE PURPOSE
OF VERIFYING COURSE COMPLETION FOR SUBMISSION TO INSURANCE COMPANIES.
(D) THE COMMISSIONER MAY PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS AUTHORIZING
THE ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLETION OF THE COURSE USING THE INTERNET OR
OTHER REMOTE TECHNOLOGY IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCA-
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TION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED SIX-A
OF THE EDUCATION LAW, PROVIDED THAT ANY SUCH TECHNOLOGY IS CAPABLE OF
VALIDATING: STUDENT IDENTITY AT REGISTRATION AND THROUGHOUT THE COURSE;
PARTICIPATION THROUGHOUT THE COURSE; THAT THE TIME REQUIREMENTS ARE MET;
AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE COURSE.
2. (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSULT WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCA-
TION TO ENSURE THAT THE CURRICULUM AND COURSE MATERIALS ARE UP-TO-DATE
AND PROVIDE EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION TO COURSE PARTICIPANTS AND SHALL REGU-
LARLY REVIEW AND REVISE SUCH CURRICULUM AS THE COMMISSIONER DEEMS NECES-
SARY.
(B) BEGINNING TWO YEARS AFTER ADOPTION OF THE INITIAL CURRICULUM AND
BIENNIALLY THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER, IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMIS-
SIONER OF EDUCATION, SHALL RE-EVALUATE SUCH CURRICULUM AND MAKE SUCH
REVISIONS AS THE COMMISSIONER DEEMS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THE PURPOSES
OF THIS ARTICLE. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL APPROVE SUCH CURRICULUM NO LATER
THAN NINETY DAYS FOLLOWING THE BIENNIAL RE-EVALUATION REQUIRED PURSUANT
TO THIS PARAGRAPH AND SHALL NOTIFY ALL APPROVED SPONSORING AGENCIES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
HAVE PROMULGATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE.
3. NO PERSON SHALL QUALIFY TO RECEIVE MANDATORY INSURANCE REDUCTION
BENEFITS PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (A) OF SECTION TWO THOUSAND THREE
HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX OF THE INSURANCE LAW UNLESS SUCH PERSON SHALL HAVE
ATTENDED AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE UNIFORM ACCIDENT PREVENTION
COURSE CURRICULUM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
§ 4. Section 399-a of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter
290 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
§ 399-a. Statement of purpose. The purposes of this article are to
further highway safety by preserving the quality and efficacy of the
accident prevention course programs. These purposes will be accomplished
by establishing strict criteria for initial and continual course [spon-
sorship] approval.
§ 5. Subdivisions 1, 2, 3 and 4 of section 399-b of the vehicle and
traffic law, as added by chapter 290 of the laws of 1998, are amended to
read as follows:
1. "Sponsoring agency" shall mean an organization which [owns a] SPON-
SORS THE motor vehicle accident prevention course approved by the
commissioner IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE-C OF
THIS ARTICLE.
2. "Delivery agency" shall mean an organization which conducts [a
sponsoring agency's] THE approved motor vehicle accident prevention
course ON BEHALF OF A SPONSORING AGENCY.
3. "Instructor" shall mean an individual employed by a delivery agency
to teach [an] THE approved accident prevention course.
4. "Accident prevention course" or "course" shall mean the accident
prevention course curriculum or specialized course curriculum which has
been approved by the commissioner IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION THREE
HUNDRED-NINETY-NINE-C OF THIS ARTICLE.
§ 6. Section 399-d of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter
290 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
§ 399-d. Application for approval; SPONSORING AGENCY. 1. An agency or
organization seeking approval as a motor vehicle accident prevention
course sponsoring agency shall apply to the commissioner for approval.
Such applications shall be made in writing and on forms prescribed by
the commissioner. The application shall include at a minimum: [the title
or name of the course,] the name of the organization submitting the
application, [proof of course ownership, and] the names and addresses of
S. 5191 4
all owners, officers, and directors of the agency or organization, and
such other information or material as the commissioner may prescribe. An
application shall not be considered to be complete until all information
and material required by this chapter and by regulation of the commis-
sioner has been submitted.
2. The commissioner shall either approve or deny an application for
[course] approval AS A SPONSORING AGENCY no later than ninety days
following submission of a completed application. In the event the
commissioner takes no action on an application after ninety days follow-
ing submission of a completed application, the application shall be
deemed denied.
3. THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO SUSPEND OR REVOKE APPROVAL OF A
SPONSORING AGENCY SHOULD THE COMMISSIONER FIND THAT THE SPONSORING AGEN-
CY, ITS DELIVERY AGENCY OR ITS INSTRUCTORS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE IN
VIOLATION OF ANY APPLICABLE LAWS OR REGULATIONS.
§ 7. Section 399-e of the vehicle and traffic law is REPEALED.
§ 8. Section 399-g of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter
290 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
§ 399-g. Regulations. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and
regulations as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this arti-
cle. In addition to any requirements expressly authorized by this arti-
cle, such regulations may include but not be limited to requirements and
standards with respect to: delivery agencies and instructors; classroom
facilities; suspension or revocation of approval; appeal of suspension
or revocation; ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNIFORM COURSE CURRICULUM PURSUANT TO
SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE-C OF THIS ARTICLE; course adminis-
tration and advertising; monitoring of courses and instructors; and
reevaluation of course effectiveness pursuant to SECTION THREE HUNDRED
NINETY-NINE-C AND section three hundred ninety-nine-f of this article.
§ 9. Section 806-a of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 3 to read as follows:
3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ASSIST THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES
WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNIFORM ACCIDENT PREVENTION COURSE CURRIC-
ULUM REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE-C OF THE
VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND EACH BIENNIAL RE-EVALUATION THEREOF, TO
ENSURE THAT SUCH CURRICULUM AND COURSE MATERIALS ARE UP-TO-DATE AND
PROVIDE EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION FOR COURSE PARTICIPANTS. SUCH ASSISTANCE
SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY WITH DRIV-
ER EDUCATION COURSES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION AND EVALUATION
OF INSTRUCTION METHODS, INCLUDING REMOTE INSTRUCTION.
§ 10. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 60 to read as follows:
60. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL COOPERATE WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR
VEHICLES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION OF THE UNIFORM ACCIDENT
PREVENTION COURSE CURRICULUM REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED
NINETY-NINE-C OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND THE BIENNIAL RE-EVALU-
ATION THEREOF, TO ENSURE THAT SUCH CURRICULUM AND COURSE MATERIALS ARE
UP-TO-DATE AND PROVIDE EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION FOR COURSE PARTICIPANTS AS
PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED SIX-A OF THIS
CHAPTER.
§ 11. Paragraph 1 of subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance
law, as amended by section 3 of chapter 4 of the laws of 2021, is
amended to read as follows:
(1) Any schedule of rates or rating plan for motor vehicle liability
and collision insurance submitted to the superintendent shall provide
for an actuarially appropriate reduction in premium charges for any
S. 5191 5
insured for a three year period after successfully completing a motor
vehicle accident prevention course[, known as the national safety coun-
cil's defensive driving course, or any driver improvement course]
approved [by the department of motor vehicles as being equivalent to the
national safety council's defensive driving course] PURSUANT TO THE
PROVISIONS ARTICLE TWELVE-B OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, provided
that, except as provided in article twelve-C of the vehicle and traffic
law, there shall be no reduction in premiums for a self-instruction
defensive driving course or a course that does not provide for actual
classroom instruction for a minimum number of hours as determined by the
department of motor vehicles. Such reduction in premium charges shall be
subsequently modified to the extent appropriate, based upon analysis of
loss experience statistics and other relevant factors. All such accident
prevention courses shall be monitored by the department of motor vehi-
cles and shall include components of instruction in "Road Rage" aware-
ness and in "Work Zone Safety" awareness as defined by the commissioner
of motor vehicles. The provisions of this section shall not apply to
attendance at a program pursuant to article twenty-one of the vehicle
and traffic law as a result of any traffic infraction.
§ 12. Paragraph 1 of subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance
law, as amended by section 4 of chapter 4 of the laws of 2021, is
amended to read as follows:
(1) Any schedule of rates or rating plan for motor vehicle liability
and collision insurance submitted to the superintendent shall provide
for an actuarially appropriate reduction in premium charges for any
insured for a three year period after successfully completing a motor
vehicle accident prevention course[, known as the national safety coun-
cil's defensive driving course, or any driver improvement course]
approved [by the department of motor vehicles as being equivalent to the
national safety council's defensive driving course] PURSUANT TO THE
PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE TWELVE-B OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, provided
that in either event there shall be no reduction in premiums for a self-
instruction defensive driving course or a course that does not provide
for actual classroom instruction for a minimum number of hours as deter-
mined by the department of motor vehicles. Such reduction in premium
charges shall be subsequently modified to the extent appropriate, based
upon analysis of loss experience statistics and other relevant factors.
All such accident prevention courses shall be monitored by the depart-
ment of motor vehicles and shall include components of instruction in
"Road Rage" awareness and in "Work Zone Safety" awareness as defined by
the commissioner of motor vehicles. The provisions of this section shall
not apply to attendance at a program pursuant to article twenty-one of
the vehicle and traffic law as a result of any traffic infraction.
§ 13. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
the amendments to section 399-c of the vehicle and traffic law made by
section two of this act shall expire and be deemed repealed one year
after it shall have become a law, when upon such date the provisions of
sections three, four, five, six, seven and eleven of this act shall take
effect; and provided further that the amendments to paragraph 1 of
subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law made by section
eleven of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of
such subsection when upon such date the provisions of section twelve of
this act shall take effect.