Section 40-5-80. Purpose of article

   The purpose of this article, the "Georgia Driver Improvement Act," is to improve and promote greater safety upon the highways and streets of this state; to improve the attitude and driving habits of drivers who accumulate traffic accident and motor vehicle conviction records; and to provide uniform DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs for the rehabilitation of persons identified as reckless or negligent drivers and frequent violators. In carrying out this purpose, the Department of Driver Services shall:

   (1) Charge a fee for the consideration of applications for approval of driver improvement clinics and instructors. The amount of this fee shall be established by the commissioner and shall, as best as the commissioner shall determine, approximate the expense incurred by the department in consideration of an application. These licenses and each renewal thereof shall be valid for a period of four years unless suspended or revoked prior to the expiration of that time period; and

   (2) Require, in addition to the criteria established by the commissioner for approval of driver improvement clinics and DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs, as provided in subsections (a) and (e) of Code Section 40-5-83, that every driver improvement clinic and DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program shall, as a condition of approval, provide a continuous surety company bond for the protection of the contractual rights of students in such form as will meet with the approval of the department, and written by a company authorized to do business in this state. The principal sum of the bond shall be established by the commissioner; however, in no event shall this amount be less than $10,000.00 per location, and a single bond at such rate may be submitted for all locations under the same ownership. If at any time said bond is not valid and in force, the license of the clinic or program shall be deemed suspended by operation of law until a valid surety company bond is again in force.

Code 1933, § 68D-101, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 2302, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1154, § 5; Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 4; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2785, § 14; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1066, § 1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 143, § 40; Ga. L. 2000, p. 951, § 5-40; Ga. L. 2003, p. 796, § 2; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 17-17/HB 501.