Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3643 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3399 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3643
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Manny Cruz
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to junior operators.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Manny Cruz7th Essex1/17/2025 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3399 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3643
18	18	By Representative Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3643) of Manny
19	19	Cruz for legislation to establish a junior operator’s license fund to be administered by the
20	20	Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Transportation.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3861 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to junior operators.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
32	32	2section 2AAAAAA the following section:-
33	33	3 Section 2BBBBBB. (a) There shall be established and set upon the books of the
34	34	4commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Junior Operator’s License Fund. The fund
35	35	5shall be administered by the registrar of motor vehicles.
36	36	6 (b) The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations and other money
37	37	7authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds
38	38	8from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) interest earned on 2 of 4
39	39	9money in the fund. The fund shall not be subject to section 5C of chapter 29 and shall be subject
40	40	10to appropriation.
41	41	11 (c)(1) The fund shall be used to provide financial assistance to persons from
42	42	12disadvantaged backgrounds seeking a junior operator’s license by providing grants to reduce or
43	43	13eliminate the cost of a driver education and training course required pursuant to section 8 of
44	44	14chapter 90.
45	45	15 (2) Students shall be eligible to receive financial assistance from the fund if the student or
46	46	16the student’s household is eligible for any 1 of the following 5 programs: (i) free or reduced
47	47	17lunch pursuant to the federal school lunch program; (ii) MassHealth; (iii) the supplemental
48	48	18nutrition assistance program; (iv) the federal program of temporary assistance for needy families;
49	49	19and (v) the residential assistance for families in transition program.
50	50	20 (3) The registrar shall create an application form to be used for determining eligibility for
51	51	21all persons seeking financial assistance from the fund.
52	52	22 (d) The registrar shall establish rules and regulations that are necessary to implement this
53	53	23section.
54	54	24 SECTION 2. Section 8 of chapter 90 of the General Law is hereby amended by striking
55	55	25out, in line 90, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, the words “6 months” and inserting in
56	56	26place thereof the following words:- 90 days.
57	57	27 SECTION 3. Said chapter 90 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 8M the
58	58	28following section:- 3 of 4
59	59	29 Section 8N. (a) Before enrolling a student in a driver education and training course, as
60	60	30described in section 8, the provider of the course shall provide written notice to the student
61	61	31identifying the requirements of the course and the amount of time needed to complete all
62	62	32requirements of the course.
63	63	33 (b) The provider of a driver education and training course shall refund all payments made
64	64	34by the student for the course if:
65	65	35 (1) either (i) the provider of the course fails to provide the notice required pursuant to
66	66	36subsection (a), or (ii) the provider of the course fails to complete the course within the amount of
67	67	37time specified in the notice made pursuant to subsection (a), unless failure to complete the course
68	68	38was due to delays caused by the student; and
69	69	39 (2) the student’s learner’s permit issued under section 8B expires prior to the student’s
70	70	40completion of the course.
71	71	41 (c) The notice required by subsection (a) shall identify a student’s right to a refund
72	72	42pursuant to subsection (b).
73	73	43 (d) The registrar shall collect data on: (i) the number of annual enrollments in driver
74	74	44education and training courses in the commonwealth; (ii) the number of people whose learner’s
75	75	45permit expired before obtaining a junior operator’s license; (iii) if known, the reasons for a
76	76	46learner’s permit expiring before a person obtained their junior operator’s license; and (iv) the
77	77	47name and location of any person or entity providing a driver education and training course in the
78	78	48commonwealth and the number of learner’s permits that expired while applicants were enrolled
79	79	49in their program. 4 of 4
80	80	50 (e) The registrar shall file an annual report on the data collected pursuant to subsection
81	81	51(d) with the attorney general’s office. The attorney general’s office shall create an advisory board
82	82	52to review the annual report and make recommendations to the registrar relative to the data.
83	83	53 (f) The attorney general’s office, in consultation with the registrar, shall establish a form
84	84	54to be used for making a request for a refund pursuant to subsection (b). Students making a
85	85	55request for a refund pursuant to said subsection (b) shall complete and submit the form
86	86	56established pursuant to this subsection to: (i) the attorney general’s office; and (ii) the provider of
87	87	57the education and training course.
88	88	58 (g) The attorney general’s office shall assess fines and civil penalties not more than
89	89	59$1,000 for any violation of subsection (a), (b) or (c).
90	90	60 (h) The attorney general’s office, in consultation with the registrar, shall make rules and
91	91	61regulations to enforce this section.