Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2415 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2550 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2415
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Joan B. Lovely
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 supporting junior operators.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joan B. LovelySecond Essex 1 of 4
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2550 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2415
18	18	By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2415) of Joan B. Lovely for
19	19	legislation to establish a Junior Operator's License Fund to provide financial assistance to
20	20	persons from disadvantaged backgrounds. Transportation.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act supporting junior operators.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
30	30	2section 2AAAAAA the following section:-Section 2BBBBBB. (a) There shall be established and
31	31	3set upon the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Junior Operator’s
32	32	4License Fund. The fund shall be administered by the registrar of motor vehicles." but it seems
33	33	5sections 2AAAAAA and 2BBBBBB already exist. So see proposed changes in red:
34	34	6 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
35	35	7section 2DDDDDD the following section:-
36	36	8 Section 2EEEEEE. (a) There shall be established and set upon the books of the
37	37	9commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Junior Operator’s License Fund. The fund
38	38	10shall be administered by the registrar of motor vehicles.
39	39	11 (b) The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations and other money
40	40	12authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds 2 of 4
41	41	13from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) interest earned on
42	42	14money in the fund. The fund shall not be subject to section 5C of chapter 29 and shall be subject
43	43	15to appropriation.
44	44	16 (c)(1) The fund shall be used to provide financial assistance to persons from
45	45	17disadvantaged backgrounds seeking a junior operator’s license by providing grants to reduce or
46	46	18eliminate the cost of a driver education and training course required pursuant to section 8 of
47	47	19chapter 90.
48	48	20 (2) Students shall be eligible to receive financial assistance from the fund if the student or
49	49	21the student’s household is eligible for any 1 of the following 5 programs: (i) free or reduced
50	50	22lunch pursuant to the federal school lunch program; (ii) MassHealth; (iii) the supplemental
51	51	23nutrition assistance program; (iv) the federal program of temporary assistance for needy families;
52	52	24and (v) the residential assistance for families in transition program.
53	53	25 (3) The registrar shall create an application form to be used for determining eligibility for
54	54	26all persons seeking financial assistance from the fund.
55	55	27 (d) The registrar shall establish rules and regulations that are necessary to implement this
56	56	28section.
57	57	29 SECTION 2. Section 8 of chapter 90 of the General Law is hereby amended by striking
58	58	30out, in line 90, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, the words “6 months” and inserting in
59	59	31place thereof the following words:- 90 days.
60	60	32 SECTION 3. Said chapter 90 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 8M the
61	61	33following section:- 3 of 4
62	62	34 Section 8N. (a) Before enrolling a student in a driver education and training course, as
63	63	35described in section 8, the provider of the course shall provide written notice to the student
64	64	36identifying the requirements of the course and the amount of time needed to complete all
65	65	37requirements of the course.
66	66	38 (b) The provider of a driver education and training course shall refund all payments made
67	67	39by the student for the course if:
68	68	40 (1) either (i) the provider of the course fails to provide the notice required pursuant to
69	69	41subsection (a), or (ii) the provider of the course fails to complete the course within the amount of
70	70	42time specified in the notice made pursuant to subsection (a), unless failure to complete the course
71	71	43was due to delays caused by the student; and
72	72	44 (2) the student’s learner’s permit issued under section 8B expires prior to the student’s
73	73	45completion of the course.
74	74	46 (c) The notice required by subsection (a) shall identify a student’s right to a refund
75	75	47pursuant to subsection (b).
76	76	48 (d) The registrar shall collect data on: (i) the number of annual enrollments in driver
77	77	49education and training courses in the commonwealth; (ii) the number of people whose learner’s
78	78	50permit expired before obtaining a junior operator’s license; (iii) if known, the reasons for a
79	79	51learner’s permit expiring before a person obtained their junior operator’s license; and (iv) the
80	80	52name and location of any person or entity providing a driver education and training course in the
81	81	53commonwealth and the number of learner’s permits that expired while applicants were enrolled
82	82	54in their program. 4 of 4
83	83	55 (e) The registrar shall file an annual report on the data collected pursuant to subsection
84	84	56(d) with the attorney general’s office. The attorney general’s office shall create an advisory board
85	85	57to review the annual report and make recommendations to the registrar relative to the data.
86	86	58 (f) The attorney general’s office, in consultation with the registrar, shall establish a form
87	87	59to be used for making a request for a refund pursuant to subsection (b). Students making a
88	88	60request for a refund pursuant to said subsection (b) shall complete and submit the form
89	89	61established pursuant to this subsection to: (i) the attorney general’s office; and (ii) the provider of
90	90	62the education and training course.
91	91	63 (g) The attorney general’s office shall assess fines and civil penalties not more than
92	92	64$1,000 for any violation of subsection (a), (b) or (c).
93	93	65 (h) The attorney general’s office, in consultation with the registrar, shall make rules and
94	94	66regulations to enforce this section.