Section 12523.6 Of Article 1. Persons Required To Be Licensed, Exemptions, And Age Limits From California Vehicle Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 1.
12523.6
. (a) (1) On and after March 1, 1998, no person who is
employed primarily as a driver of a motor vehicle that is used for
the transportation of persons with developmental disabilities, as
defined in subdivision (a) of Section 4512 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, shall operate that motor vehicle unless that
person has in his or her possession a valid driver's license of the
appropriate class and a valid special driver certificate issued by
the department.
(2) This subdivision only applies to a person who is employed by a
business, a nonprofit organization, or a state or local public
agency.
(b) The special driver certificate shall be issued only to an
applicant who has cleared a criminal history background check by the
Department of Justice and, if applicable, by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
(1) In order to determine the applicant's suitability as the
driver of a vehicle used for the transportation of persons with
developmental disabilities, the Department of the California Highway
Patrol shall require the applicant to furnish to that department, on
a form provided or approved by that department for submission to the
Department of Justice, a full set of fingerprints sufficient to
enable a criminal background investigation.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), an applicant shall
furnish to the Department of the California Highway Patrol evidence
of having resided in this state for seven consecutive years
immediately prior to the date of application for the certificate.
(3) If an applicant is unable to furnish the evidence required
under paragraph (2), the Department of the California Highway Patrol
shall require the applicant to furnish an additional full set of
fingerprints. That department shall submit those fingerprint cards to
the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice shall, in turn,
submit the additional full set of fingerprints required under this
paragraph to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national
criminal history record check.
(4) Applicant fingerprint forms shall be processed and returned to
the area office of the Department of the California Highway Patrol
from which they originated not later than 15 working days from the
date on which the fingerprint forms were received by the Department
of Justice, unless circumstances, other than the administrative
duties of the Department of Justice, warrant further investigation.
Upon implementation of an electronic fingerprinting system with
terminals located statewide and managed by the Department of Justice,
the Department of Justice shall ascertain the information required
pursuant to this subdivision within three working days.
(5) The applicant shall pay, in addition to the fees authorized in
Section 2427, a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) for an original
certificate and twelve dollars ($12) for the renewal of that
certificate to the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
(c) A certificate issued under this section shall not be deemed a
certification to operate a particular vehicle that otherwise requires
a driver's license or endorsement for a particular class under this
code.
(d) On or after March 1, 1998, no person who operates a business
or a nonprofit organization or agency shall employ a person who is
employed primarily as a driver of a motor vehicle for hire that is
used for the transportation of persons with developmental
disabilities unless the employed person operates the motor vehicle in
compliance with subdivision (a).
(e) Nothing in this section precludes an employer of persons who
are occasionally used as drivers of motor vehicles for the
transportation of persons with developmental disabilities from
requiring those persons, as a condition of employment, to obtain a
special driver certificate pursuant to this section or precludes any
volunteer driver from applying for a special driver certificate.
(f) As used in this section, a person is employed primarily as
driver if that person performs at least 50 percent of his or her time
worked including, but not limited to, time spent assisting persons
onto and out of the vehicle, or at least 20 hours a week, whichever
is less, as a compensated driver of a motor vehicle for hire for the
transportation of persons with developmental disabilities.
(g) This section does not apply to any person who has successfully
completed a background investigation prescribed by law, including,
but not limited to, health care transport vehicle operators, or to
the operator of a taxicab regulated pursuant to Section 21100. This
section does not apply to a person who holds a valid certificate,
other than a farm labor vehicle driver certificate, issued under
Section 12517.4 or 12527. This section does not apply to a driver who
provides transportation on a noncommercial basis to persons with
developmental disabilities.