| 1 | 1 | | |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5143 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | LC000188 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUF FEURS' |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | LICENSES |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Representatives Casimiro, Noret, and Read |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: January 22, 2025 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Finance |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Section 31-10-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators’ 1 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | and Chauffeurs’ Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Effective until contingency in 3 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | P.L. 2017, ch. 156 and 160 is met.] 4 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of 5 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years 6 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | of age for a limited instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, 7 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall 8 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board 9 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | of regents and which course of instruction shall be approved by the board of governors for higher 10 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | education. In case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may 11 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | declare, when no certified instructor is available to teach, an individual eligible to teach at the 12 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | community college of Rhode Island who has taken the required course of instruction in driver 13 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | education, may provide driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include 14 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and 15 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The 16 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | board of governors for higher education shall ensure that each person properly certified and 17 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | approved to instruct driver education courses shall be given an equal opportunity for employment 18 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | LC000188 - Page 2 of 6 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | as an instructor within the driver education program. No person teaching driver education under 1 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | this section shall own, be employed by, or be associated with a commercial driving school. 2 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less 3 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age. 4 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | (c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set 5 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a 6 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | need for a separate program of instruction. 7 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for 8 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in 9 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by 10 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed 11 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a 12 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition 13 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program. 14 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in 15 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | accordance with rules and regulations of the board of governors for higher education; provided, 16 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | that personal checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The 17 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | tuition or enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any 18 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | and all costs associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode 19 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | Island and administered by the community college of Rhode Island. Provided further, any person 20 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | receiving foster caregiving in foster and adoptive homes as defined in § 42-72.1-2, shall be eligible 21 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | for a fee waiver for driver's education classes at the community college of Rhode Island. 22 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | (f) The board of governors for higher education is authorized to establish administrative 23 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | regulations to further implement this section. 24 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | (g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover 25 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions 26 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education 27 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the 28 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, 29 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson 30 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state 31 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | budget officer. 32 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | (h) The board of governors for higher education shall provide for an optional and voluntary 33 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where applicable, on the 34 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | LC000188 - Page 3 of 6 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated licensing for 1 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The community college of Rhode 2 |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | Island shall be responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent 3 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | instruction, or may approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to 4 |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | it, and shall promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the 5 |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | instruction. 6 |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | (i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be 7 |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license 8 |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | examination. 9 |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | (j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of 10 |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent. 11 |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | (k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon 12 |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | the effective date of this subsection [June 19, 2023] and shall only be implemented upon the 13 |
|---|
| 94 | 94 | | approval of the course by the state board of education. 14 |
|---|
| 95 | 95 | | 31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Effective when contingency 15 |
|---|
| 96 | 96 | | in P.L. 2017, ch. 156 and 160 is met.] 16 |
|---|
| 97 | 97 | | (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of 17 |
|---|
| 98 | 98 | | classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years 18 |
|---|
| 99 | 99 | | of age, for a limited-instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, 19 |
|---|
| 100 | 100 | | specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall 20 |
|---|
| 101 | 101 | | be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board 21 |
|---|
| 102 | 102 | | of education and which course of instruction shall be approved by the state board of education. In 22 |
|---|
| 103 | 103 | | case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may declare, when no 23 |
|---|
| 104 | 104 | | certified instructor is available to teach, that an individual eligible to teach at the community college 24 |
|---|
| 105 | 105 | | of Rhode Island, who has taken the required course of instruction in driver education, may provide 25 |
|---|
| 106 | 106 | | driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include information concerning 26 |
|---|
| 107 | 107 | | the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor 27 |
|---|
| 108 | 108 | | cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The state board of education 28 |
|---|
| 109 | 109 | | shall ensure that each person properly certified and approved to instruct driver education courses 29 |
|---|
| 110 | 110 | | shall be given an equal opportunity for employment as an instructor within the driver education 30 |
|---|
| 111 | 111 | | program. No person teaching driver education under this section shall own, be employed by, or be 31 |
|---|
| 112 | 112 | | associated with a commercial driving school. 32 |
|---|
| 113 | 113 | | (b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less 33 |
|---|
| 114 | 114 | | than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age. 34 |
|---|
| 115 | 115 | | |
|---|
| 116 | 116 | | |
|---|
| 117 | 117 | | LC000188 - Page 4 of 6 |
|---|
| 118 | 118 | | (c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set 1 |
|---|
| 119 | 119 | | forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a 2 |
|---|
| 120 | 120 | | need for a separate program of instruction. 3 |
|---|
| 121 | 121 | | (d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for 4 |
|---|
| 122 | 122 | | physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in 5 |
|---|
| 123 | 123 | | the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by 6 |
|---|
| 124 | 124 | | the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed 7 |
|---|
| 125 | 125 | | physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a 8 |
|---|
| 126 | 126 | | competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition 9 |
|---|
| 127 | 127 | | fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program. 10 |
|---|
| 128 | 128 | | (e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in 11 |
|---|
| 129 | 129 | | accordance with rules and regulations of the state board of education; provided, that personal 12 |
|---|
| 130 | 130 | | checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The tuition or 13 |
|---|
| 131 | 131 | | enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any and all costs 14 |
|---|
| 132 | 132 | | associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode Island and 15 |
|---|
| 133 | 133 | | administered by the community college of Rhode Island. Provided further, any person receiving 16 |
|---|
| 134 | 134 | | foster caregiving in foster and adoptive homes as defined in § 42-72.1-2, shall be eligible for a fee 17 |
|---|
| 135 | 135 | | waiver for driver's education classes at the community college of Rhode Island. 18 |
|---|
| 136 | 136 | | (f) The state board of education is authorized to establish administrative regulations to 19 |
|---|
| 137 | 137 | | further implement this section. 20 |
|---|
| 138 | 138 | | (g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover 21 |
|---|
| 139 | 139 | | the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions 22 |
|---|
| 140 | 140 | | established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education 23 |
|---|
| 141 | 141 | | program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the 24 |
|---|
| 142 | 142 | | Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, 25 |
|---|
| 143 | 143 | | the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson 26 |
|---|
| 144 | 144 | | of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state 27 |
|---|
| 145 | 145 | | budget officer. 28 |
|---|
| 146 | 146 | | (h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, the state board of education shall 29 |
|---|
| 147 | 147 | | provide for a required course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where 30 |
|---|
| 148 | 148 | | applicable, on the content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated 31 |
|---|
| 149 | 149 | | licensing for persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The course of 32 |
|---|
| 150 | 150 | | instruction shall be made available in a classroom setting at numerous locations, days, and times 33 |
|---|
| 151 | 151 | | throughout the state, approved by the community college of Rhode Island. All costs and expenses 34 |
|---|
| 152 | 152 | | |
|---|
| 153 | 153 | | |
|---|
| 154 | 154 | | LC000188 - Page 5 of 6 |
|---|
| 155 | 155 | | associated with the course of instruction, including, but not limited to, materials, instructors, and 1 |
|---|
| 156 | 156 | | location fees shall be at the sole expense of the program providers. Once approved by the state 2 |
|---|
| 157 | 157 | | board of education, an online course of instruction shall be made available to parent(s), guardian(s), 3 |
|---|
| 158 | 158 | | or designee(s), where applicable, to meet the requirements of this section. Under no circumstances 4 |
|---|
| 159 | 159 | | shall any parent, guardian, or designee, where applicable, be required to pay any cost or fee in 5 |
|---|
| 160 | 160 | | association with participation in the course required by this section. Upon completion of the course 6 |
|---|
| 161 | 161 | | pursuant to this section, no parent, guardian, or designee shall be required to take the course more 7 |
|---|
| 162 | 162 | | than one time in a five-year (5) period. Parents, guardians, and designees with multiple children 8 |
|---|
| 163 | 163 | | having completed this course shall be deemed to have satisfied this requirement for each child in 9 |
|---|
| 164 | 164 | | their care applying for his or her license during the five-year (5) period. Should AAA or any other 10 |
|---|
| 165 | 165 | | provider cease to provide the course and no other provider exists, the community college of Rhode 11 |
|---|
| 166 | 166 | | Island shall not be required to provide the course of instruction nor shall it be required to pay any 12 |
|---|
| 167 | 167 | | of the costs associated therewith. Parents, guardians, and designees shall not be required to 13 |
|---|
| 168 | 168 | | complete the course prior to their child obtaining a license during any time at which a qualified 14 |
|---|
| 169 | 169 | | program under this section does not exist. The community college of Rhode Island shall be 15 |
|---|
| 170 | 170 | | responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent instruction, or may 16 |
|---|
| 171 | 171 | | approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to it, and shall 17 |
|---|
| 172 | 172 | | promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the instruction. Should a 18 |
|---|
| 173 | 173 | | qualified program cease to exist for a period of time greater than six (6) months, the course of 19 |
|---|
| 174 | 174 | | instruction will not be required. 20 |
|---|
| 175 | 175 | | (i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be 21 |
|---|
| 176 | 176 | | included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license 22 |
|---|
| 177 | 177 | | examination. 23 |
|---|
| 178 | 178 | | (j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of 24 |
|---|
| 179 | 179 | | marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent. 25 |
|---|
| 180 | 180 | | (k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon 26 |
|---|
| 181 | 181 | | the effective date of this subsection [June 19, 2023] and shall only be implemented upon the 27 |
|---|
| 182 | 182 | | approval of the course by the state board of education. 28 |
|---|
| 183 | 183 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 29 |
|---|
| 184 | 184 | | ======== |
|---|
| 185 | 185 | | LC000188 |
|---|
| 186 | 186 | | ======== |
|---|
| 187 | 187 | | |
|---|
| 188 | 188 | | |
|---|
| 189 | 189 | | LC000188 - Page 6 of 6 |
|---|
| 190 | 190 | | EXPLANATION |
|---|
| 191 | 191 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
|---|
| 192 | 192 | | OF |
|---|
| 193 | 193 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 194 | 194 | | RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUF FEURS' |
|---|
| 195 | 195 | | LICENSES |
|---|
| 196 | 196 | | *** |
|---|
| 197 | 197 | | This act would exempt an individual in foster or adoptive homes from the fee associated 1 |
|---|
| 198 | 198 | | with drivers education classes at the community college of Rhode Island. 2 |
|---|
| 199 | 199 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 3 |
|---|
| 200 | 200 | | ======== |
|---|
| 201 | 201 | | LC000188 |
|---|
| 202 | 202 | | ======== |
|---|