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