Commission begins rule review focused on Chapter 7 training requirements and course-length limits

The commission moved to review training entries and rules that list course operations of varying lengths and to approve those with operations longer than 60 minutes while rejecting courses listed under 60 minutes unless revised.

Members said inconsistent timeframes across chapters have caused confusion for departments and instructors. Commissioners discussed that one chapter cites a three-year period while another cites 10 years, and said staff will try to align chapter language so requirements read consistently across the rules package.

A commissioner proposed an amendment to identify and review every listed training item with an operation time over 60 minutes and to reject items listed under 60 minutes pending revision. That motion passed on voice vote.

Commissioners and staff acknowledged enforcement challenges tied to limited staff capacity. One commissioner asked who enforces older provisions and raised concerns about the department's ability to carry out inspections and compliance work given staffing constraints.

The commission also discussed prerequisites for instructor certification and test verification for Instructor I and Instructor II levels. Staff reported they completed verification for Instructor II and plan to finish Instructor I before the next meeting. Members suggested a deeper discussion of prerequisites and whether local training providers or out-of-jurisdiction verifications should be recognized.

The commission directed staff to proceed with the rules review and to return revised, synchronized language for chapters where timetables and prerequisites differed.