Establishment of schools. (a)  Driver improvement schools.-- The department is authorized to establish and maintain driver improvement schools

§ 1549.  Establishment of schools. (a)  Driver improvement schools.-- The department is authorized to establish and maintain driver improvement schools throughout this Commonwealth. The department may approve and conduct an annual review of the course material for the schools. The curriculum to be presented must be uniform throughout this Commonwealth, except as permitted under subsection (a.1)(3). All instructors shall be properly certified by the department after the completion of a course of instruction approved by the department. (a.1)  Third party authorized.-- The department may authorize a third party to operate a driver improvement school, in addition to a driver improvement school operated by the department, for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of subsection (a) and section 1538 (relating to school, examination or hearing on accumulation of points or excessive speeding) as follows: (1)  The third party may include, but need not be limited to: (i)  A nationally recognized nonprofit or not-for-profit organization which provides driver education services to improve traffic safety. (ii)  A private driving school in this Commonwealth. (2)  The third party shall offer classroom instruction, online instruction or a combination of both. (3)  The department shall establish a minimum curriculum requirement that is designed to create behavioral change in the driver, but shall not require the third party to implement the same curriculum utilized by a driver improvement school operated by the department under subsection (a), provided that the curriculum of the third party meets the minimum curriculum requirements of the department. (4)  The department shall establish minimum instruction hours for a person attending a driver improvement school operated by the third party, which shall be no less than four hours and no more than eight hours and shall be consistent among all authorized third-party providers. (5)  A third party approved by the department under this subsection may be authorized to administer an end-of-course examination required under section 1538 as part of the driver improvement school, provided that the examination is the same examination administered by the department. (6)  A third party may only operate a driver improvement school if the third party has entered into an agreement with the department and the agreement is in effect. (7)  The department may, at its discretion, impose additional requirements for a third party. (b)  Alcohol highway safety schools.-- (1)  Each county, multicounty judicial district or group of counties combined under one program shall, in compliance with regulations of the department and the Department of Health, establish and maintain a course of instruction on the problems of alcohol and driving. The time during which the course is offered shall accommodate persons' work schedules, including weekend and evening times. (2)  These regulations shall include, but not be limited to, a uniform curriculum for the course of instruction, training and certification requirements for instructors and provision for the giving of both oral and written notice of the provisions of section 1543(b) (relating to driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked) to all program participants. (Dec. 15, 1982, P.L.1268, No.289, eff. 30 days; Nov. 23, 1987, P.L.399, No.82, eff. 60 days; Sept. 30, 2003, P.L.120, No.24, eff. Feb. 1, 2004; Nov. 3, 2022, P.L.1783, No.120, eff. 14 months) 2022 Amendment. Act 120 amended subsec. (a) and added subsec. (a.1). 2003 Amendment. Act 24 amended subsec. (b). Section 20(2) of Act 24 provided that by October 1, 2004, the Department of Transportation shall promulgate regulations to implement subsec. (b). Cross References. Section 1549 is referred to in sections 102, 3807 of this title.