POLICY STATEMENT

(1) The Board of Higher Education, concerned about travel safety, adopts these rules to require institution action to promote safe travel.

(2) For purposes of this rule:

(a) "Vehicle" means cars, vans, trucks, and buses;

(b) "State-Owned Vehicle" means a vehicle owned by or registered in the name of the State of

Oregon, the Board, or any institution;

(c) "Hired Vehicle" means a vehicle that is leased, hired, or rented by the state, the Board, or any institution. This definition excludes borrowed vehicles;

(d) "Borrowed Vehicle" means a vehicle that is not a "state-owned vehicle" or a "hired vehicle" but that is used on state business. "Borrowed Vehicle" includes vehicles owned by employees, students and others participating in institution activities and used on state business;

(e) "State Business" means any activity for which all or part of the expenses may be reimbursed by any unit, department, or program of the Department of Higher Education.

(f) "Officially Sanctioned Program" means any program undertaken to further the instructional, research, or service missions of the institution or designed to promote the cultural and physical development of students. Such programs include but are not limited to:

(A) Academic department programs;

(B) Cocurricular programs;

(C) Intramural, recreational sports, club sports and intercollegiate athletic programs;

(D) Any student programs or activities identified by the institution president or designee. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to, student government, student housing activities and activities sponsored by student organizations that are consistent with the institution's mission.

(g) “Major traffic offense” includes reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants, failing to perform the duties of a driver, criminal driving while suspended or revoked, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer,

(3) No motor vehicle owned, leased or controlled by the state shall be used to transport students to an event or activity not directly related to an officially sanctioned program. Institutions shall develop policies and procedures to implement this rule, including a means to identify officially sanctioned programs.

(4) The Board of Higher Education delegates to the institution presidents the authority and responsibility to establish specific rules governing travel safety, subject to the following general guidelines:

(a) Institution rules shall provide procedures for certifying that persons who operate state-owned or hired vehicles on state business possess a valid driver's license and have not been convicted of a major traffic offense as defined by this rule within three years of the proposed operation;

(b) Institution rules shall require that vehicles (not including buses) used on state business have operable seat belts for all occupants. Institution rules shall also indicate the circumstances under which additional safety equipment such as a flashlight, ice scraper, first aid kit, emergency instructions, tire chains, etc., will be required;

(c) Institution rules shall indicate the circumstances under which relief drivers and the filing of itineraries will be required;

(d) Institution rules shall apply to state-owned vehicles and to hired vehicles. Institution rules also may apply to borrowed vehicles at the discretion of the institution, giving consideration to enforceability, the nature of the travel and other relevant factors.

(5) Each institution shall file a report with the Office of Finance and Administration by August 31 of each year commenting on the adequacy of the travel safety rules and summarizing the vehicle accidents and injuries that have occurred during travel on state business in the preceding 12 months.

(6) Institution travel safety rules and amendments thereto will be effective only upon approval of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration or a designee.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 283.210 & 351.277

Stats. Implemented: ORS 351.070

Hist.: HEB 3-1978, f. & ef. 6-5-78; HEB 9-1984, f. & ef. 8-21-84; HEB 6-1986, f. & ef. 1-23-86; HEB 13-

1986, f. & ef. 9-20-86; HEB 10-1990, f. & cert. ef. 7-26-90; HEB 1-1993, f. & cert. ef. 2-5-93; HEB 5-

1994, f. & cert. ef. 4-28-94; HEB 5-1996, f. & cert. ef. 12-18-96; OUS 4-2012(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 3-

16-12 thru 8-31-12; OUS 14-2012, f. & cert. ef. 8-30-12