BILL AS INTRODUCED H.282
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VT LEG #380451 v.1
H.282 1
Introduced by Representatives Taylor of Milton, Toof of St. Albans Town, 2
Bartley of Fairfax, Burditt of West Rutland, Dobrovich of 3
Williamstown, Galfetti of Barre Town, Goslant of Northfield, 4
Hango of Berkshire, Higley of Lowell, Laroche of Franklin, 5
Luneau of St. Albans City, Micklus of Milton, Morgan, L. of 6
Milton, Morgan, M. of Milton, Page of Newport City, 7
Pinsonault of Dorset, Priestley of Bradford, Pritchard of Pawlet, 8
and Tagliavia of Corinth 9
Referred to Committee on 10
Date: 11
Subject: Motor vehicles; driver education; junior operator’s license; home 12
study program 13
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 14
driver education and training course for students participating in the home 15
study program and to require the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the 16
Secretary of Education to approve a driver education and training course for 17
students participating in the home study program. 18
An act relating to driver education for students participating in the home 19
study program 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.282
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VT LEG #380451 v.1
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
Sec. 1. 23 V.S.A. § 607 is amended to read: 2
§ 607. JUNIOR OPERATOR’S LICENSE 3
(a) A junior operator’s license may be issued initially only to persons who: 4
(1) are 16 and 17 years of age; 5
(2) have passed the driver examination required in subchapter 2 of this 6
chapter and a driver education and training course approved by the 7
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of Education pursuant to 8
16 V.S.A. § 1044 or 1045; and 9
(3) have: 10
(A) possessed a learner’s permit for not less than one year; 11
(B) submitted on a form provided by the Department of Motor 12
Vehicles that is approved by the Commissioner, and certified by the operator’s 13
licensed parent or guardian, licensed or certified driver education instructor, or 14
licensed person at least 25 years of age that there was at least 40 hours of 15
practice behind the wheel, at least 10 of which was nighttime driving and that 16
the operator was accompanied by his or her the operator’s licensed parent or 17
guardian, a licensed or certified driver education instructor, or another licensed 18
individual at least 25 years of age, riding in the front passenger seat; and 19
(C) maintained a driving record without a learner’s permit 20
suspension, revocation, or recall for six consecutive months prior to licensure. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.282
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* * * 1
Sec. 2. 16 V.S.A. chapter 23, subchapter 5 is amended to read: 2
Subchapter 5. Student Driver Education and Training Program 3
§ 1044. DRIVER EDUCATION; HOME STUDY PROGRAM 4
(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of Education 5
shall approve one or more driver education and training courses, which shall 6
include a behind-the-wheel driver training component, suitable for a parent or 7
guardian of a high-school-age student enrolled in a home study program under 8
the provisions of section 166b of this title to use for teaching a home study 9
student. 10
(b) All driver education and training courses approved under this section 11
shall include: 12
(1) a course of instruction approved by the State Board on the effects of 13
alcohol and drugs on driving; 14
(2) instruction on motor vehicle liability insurance and the motor vehicle 15
financial responsibility laws of the State; and 16
(3) instruction on the adverse environmental, health, economic, and 17
other effects of unnecessary idling of motor vehicles and on the law governing 18
prohibited idling of motor vehicles. 19
(c) A course approved under this section may only be taught: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.282
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(1) to a student enrolled in a home study program who is at least 15 1
years of age; and 2
(2) by the student’s parent or guardian who has not done any of the 3
following: 4
(A) had six or more points assessed under 23 V.S.A. § 2502 in the 5
three years prior to the student beginning instruction; 6
(B) been convicted of operating under the influence under 23 V.S.A. 7
§ 1201, 1216, or 1218 in the 11 years prior to the student beginning 8
instruction; or 9
(C) been convicted of a felony as defined in 13 V.S.A. § 1. 10
(d) Notwithstanding section 1048 of this subchapter, a parent or guardian 11
who is teaching a home study student under a driver education and training 12
course approved under this section may utilize any instructional materials and 13
visual aids provided that the parent is teaching the approved driver education 14
and training course. 15
§ 1045. DRIVER TRAINING COURSE EDUCATION; PUBLIC AND 16
INDEPENDENT HIGH SCHOOL 17
(a) A driver education and training course, approved by the Agency of 18
Education and the Department of Motor Vehicles, The Commissioner of Motor 19
Vehicles and the Secretary of Education shall approve driver education and 20
training courses suitable for a licensed driver education instructor to use for 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.282
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VT LEG #380451 v.1
teaching a high school student to drive safely, which shall be made available to 1
students whose parent or guardian is a resident of Vermont and who have 2
reached their 15th birthday are at least 15 years of age and who are regularly 3
enrolled in a public or independent high school approved by the State Board. 4
(b) After June 30, 1984, all All driver education and training courses 5
approved under this section shall include: 6
(1) a course of instruction approved by the State Board and the council 7
on the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving.; 8
(c) All driver education courses shall include 9
(2) instruction on motor vehicle liability insurance and the motor vehicle 10
financial responsibility laws of the State.; and 11
(d) All driver education courses shall include 12
(3) instruction on the adverse environmental, health, economic, and 13
other effects of unnecessary idling of motor vehicles and on the law governing 14
prohibited idling of motor vehicles. 15
* * * 16
§ 1048. ADMINISTRATION 17
The administration of this subchapter, including the training and 18
qualification of instructors and selection of instructional material and visual 19
aids, shall be in the Agency. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.282
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Sec. 3. IMPLEMENTATION; REPORT 1
(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of Education 2
shall approve at least one driver education and training course pursuant to 3
16 V.S.A. § 1044 as added by Sec. 2 of this act not later than July 1, 2025. 4
(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall gather aggregate data that 5
enables a written comparison of the driving records of operators who received 6
a junior operator’s license following participation in a driver education and 7
training course approved pursuant to 16 V.S.A. § 1044 with those who 8
received a junior operator’s license following participation in a driver 9
education and training course approved pursuant to 16 V.S.A. § 1045. The 10
Commissioner shall file the written comparison with the House and Senate 11
Committees on Education and on Transportation not later than November 15, 12
2029. 13
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 14
This act shall take effect on passage. 15