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LENS POLICY - Drivers' Safety Records Review and Authorization Policy Using the License Event Notification System (LENS) Protocols

(Approved by Executive Council 8/19/03)

Purpose
To ensure the validity of a motor vehicle operator’s driver’s license and ultimate safety of persons when employees and students apply to operate a state owned/leased/rented or College Auxiliary Services (CAS) vehicle on state business.

Revision History
New

Persons Affected
All employees and qualifying students who apply to operate a state owned/leased/rented or College Auxiliary Services (CAS) vehicle on state business.

Policy
All employees and students who wish to drive a state owned/leased/rented or College Auxiliary Services (CAS) vehicle on state business must supply University Police with a copy of their drivers license (applicants may cover their picture and the physical characteristic description on their license when copying prior to forwarding to University Police) and a copy of the LENS release, which they are to have read and signed.  This should be completed at least three weeks prior to the travel date so as to give sufficient processing time.

University Police will utilize the LENS program to ensure the validity of the applicant’s driver’s license.  Submission of driver’s licenses will only need to be submitted one time in that the LENS program is self-perpetuating.

All applicants must hold a valid United States drivers license, be 20 years of age, have completed their probationary period for their driver’s license and not be holding a restricted use license to operate vehicles on state business.

University Police will generate an authorized list of campus drivers, which will only be shared with the appropriate offices that authorize/release vehicles (Purchasing, Accounting, Maintenance & Operations, University Police, Dean of Students Office, Sport & Wellness, Canadian Studies and Study Abroad & Exchange). 

Employees and students who do not possess a New York State drivers license must provide University Police with a copy of their driving abstract each semester.  Individuals holding international driver’s licenses will not be allowed to operate vehicles on state business.

University Police will not release the individual driving records of any applicants to anyone other than the applicant and Human Resources, in the event of a personnel matter.

The University reserves the right to deny the driver from operating a state owned/leased/rented or College Auxiliary Services (CAS) vehicle on state business in cases where special circumstances exist that make the driver a risk (ex. Charged with vehicular assault or manslaughter). 

Conversely, the University reserves the right to clear a driver for operation of a state owned/leased/rented or College Auxiliary Services (CAS) vehicle on state business in cases where special circumstances exonerate the driver of being designated a risk (ex. A grounds department worker drives only on campus for work purposes but has a conditional license only). All drivers must abide by the Vehicle and Traffic Laws and other appropriate laws when operating a vehicle on state business.

Further, applicants who have been convicted of one of the following driving violations will be precluded from operating any VAN:

• In the past 36 months, any conviction of drinking or drug use while driving.  
• In the past 12 months a person has more then two moving violations.  
• In the past 24 months a person has more than three moving violations.  
• In the past 12 months, a person has been involved in two or more accidents that are recorded on the Motor Vehicle Record.  
• In the past 36 months a person has been convicted of reckless driving.  
• In the past 36 months a person has been convicted of leaving the scene of an accident or failure to report an accident.  
• Driver has been convicted of vehicular manslaughter.  
• Driver has been convicted of vehicular assault.

Finally, in addition to all of the above, individuals applying to utilize any VAN are responsible for the following:

• Driver must attend and pass the van safety education program, when instituted, prior to utilizing the van  
• Driver must inspect the van prior to operation  
• Driver must ensure the number of occupants does not exceed the capacity of the van  
• Driver must ensure all occupants wear seatbelts 
• Driver must ensure that no alcohol is allowed in the van  
• Driver must ensure that the amount of time he/she spends behind the wheel is not excessive

Note:

• No roof racks will be allowed on top of the larger vans
• Only employees who receive appropriate training or have extensive experience may drive vans that tow trailers
  

Definitions

• LENS – License Event Notification System – A New York State Department of Motor Vehicle computer program that verifies the validity of New York State driver’s licenses and reports any Vehicle and Traffic conviction, license suspension or revocation activity on those licenses to the unit designated (Chief of University Police).  
• CAS – College Auxiliary Services 
• Applicant – Employee or Student applying to operate a state owned/leased/rented vehicle on state business.

Responsibilities

• Applicants – Copy their drivers license, sign the LENS release form and forward this to their supervisor, individual signing travel authorization,
  who will then forward the paperwork to University Police for processing.  If applicants do not have a New York State Driver’s license they may forward their out of state license, but if University Police is unable to obtain a driving abstract from the City Police on the applicant they must then contact their home DMV and obtain a driving abstract which they will have to update and submit to University Police on a semester basis.  
• Supervisor – Forward copies of drivers’ licenses and LENS releases, which are submitted to them for travel/vehicle operations purposes on state business: Reviews approved driver list each semester and informs University Police of individuals who have left state employ or graduated.  Also, notifies applicants of their approved or disapproved driver status.  
• University Police – Submits applicants information to LENS for processing, reviews driving information reported from LENS for each applicant, develops list of approved drivers, emails approved drivers list to Purchasing, Accounting, Maintenance & Operations, Dean of Students Office, Sport &Wellness, Canadian Studies and Study Abroad & Exchange. Also, removes individuals from the approved driver list and informs the seven above listed departments by email that the individual(s) has been removed from the approved driver list.  All individuals receiving the approved driver list are responsible for storing it in a manner that will ensure that the public, and all unauthorized personnel, are unable to access/view the list.  
• Purchasing, Accounting, Maintenance & Operations, Dean of Students Office, Sport &Wellness, Canadian Studies, and Study Abroad & Exchange – The submitting department (department which applicant requested vehicle through) will notify the authorizing supervisor, as indicated on the travel form of applicants approval/disapproval status and subsequently release vehicle to approved applicants as appropriate. 

Procedures
Supervisors will ensure that all LENS application paperwork is collected and submitted to University Police at least three weeks in advance of travel dates.  Applications only need to be collected and submitted once for the LENS program is self-perpetuating.

University Police will hold all application paperwork in the University Police Chief’s office and her designee will: compile a list of applicants, on a weekly basis when school is in session and as necessary on break periods, format the list for computer submission, and forward the list on disk to the chief of Police.  (The applicants individual driving records will then be stored in a locked file cabinet in the Chief’s office which only the Chief and Assistant Chief hold a key to.)  The Chief of Police will submit the list via email to DMV with a request to add the applicants to the Plattsburgh State University LENS list. 

DMV will notify the Chief of University Police both by mail and email of applicants driving record and any subsequent Vehicle and Traffic convictions, license revocations or suspensions.

The University Police Chief’s designee will review all driving records, which DMV has forwarded to the Chief and generate a list of approved drivers which he/she will email to the following departments: Purchasing, Accounting, Maintenance & Operations, Dean of Students Office, Sport & Wellness, and Canadian Studies/Study Abroad.  If individuals are subsequently removed from the approved driver list, the Chief’s designee will again email the five above listed departments and notify them of the removal.  The department who submitted the applicant for approval will notify the applicant’s supervisor, as indicated on the travel form, of the removal.  The applicants’ supervisor will then notify the applicant of their removal.  If questions regarding the reason for the applicant’s removal arise, only the applicant or Human Resources may ascertain the driving record information from the Chief of Police.  The approved driver list will be stored in such a manner at each location so as the public, and all unauthorized personnel, are unable to access and/or view the list.  Note:  University Police does keep a copy of the list at the dispatcher station for problems have arisen and immediate information has been needed regarding individuals approval to operate a vehicle on state business.

When special circumstances exist that designate a driver as a risk or exonerates a driver as a risk, the University Police Chief will consult with the Vice President of Administration, who may need to consult with respective Vice Presidents and/or the Dean of Students to determine such exemption.  If the driver is authorized through CAS due to their employee status, then the University Police Chief will consult with the Director of CAS to make such exemptions.

Financial Implications
If the procedure is followed within the time frame indicated, application forwarded to University Police at least three weeks prior to travel, there are no financial implications for the LENS program is free of charge.  If the time frame is not followed and University Police has to utilize the SNAKE computer program to access DMV and run a driving history, the cost to the campus is $5.00 for each individual inquiry and LENS still needs to be utilized for the SNAKE program is not self-perpetuating.