SECTION 84.51. Submission of Parent-Taught Course for Department Approval

(a) If the curriculum and all materials meet or exceed the applicable minimum standards set forth in the Code, the department will approve the course. No more than 640 minutes of the required hours of classroom instruction delivered via multimedia may be counted.

(b) Notification of approval or denial will be sent to the requesting entity. Deficiencies will be noted in cases of denial. Any substantive change in course curriculum or materials will require submission for approval according to subsection (a).

(c) A written request is required within thirty (30) days if there is any change relating to an approved course, including contact information, company name, and course titles. Updated information will be included as soon as practical.

(d) The department will retain submitted materials according to the department's retention schedule.

(e) The department has authority to require course re-approval due to changes in parent-taught driver education curriculum requirements, state law, or administrative rules. The department will notify the parent-taught driver education course provider when re-approval is required. The course provider will have ninety (90) days from the date of notification to submit the requested information. Failure to adequately respond within the required time will result in cancellation of the course approval. The department will review the course material and make a determination as to adoption in a timely manner.

(f) A parent-taught driver education course submitted for department review may be denied upon finding:

(1) that the course does not meet the standards required under §1001.112 of the Code; or

(2) the materials used were not approved by the department.

(g) A notice of denial will be sent to requesting entity. The requesting entity will have ninety (90) days to correct the noted deficiencies. If the requesting entity fails to meet approval criteria, the course will be denied. If a course is denied by the department, the requesting entity must wait thirty (30) days before submitting a new parent-taught driver education course for approval by the department.

(h) Course identification. All parent-taught courses must display the parent-taught provider name and registration number assigned by the department on the entity's website and the registration page used by the student to pay any monies, provide any personal information, and enroll.

(i) A parent-taught course may accept students redirected from a website if the student is redirected to a webpage that clearly identifies the parent-taught provider and registration number offering the course. This information must be visible before and during the student registration and course payment processes.

Source Note: The provisions of this §84.51 adopted to be effective April 1, 2017, 42 TexReg 1400; amended to be effective March 15, 2018, 43 TexReg 1431; amended to be effective July 1, 2018, 43 TexReg 3875; amended to be effective September 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 6069; amended to be effective June 1, 2023, 48 TexReg 2702