| Chapter 115 |
| 2023 -- H 5768 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/19/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS' LICENSES |
Introduced By: Representatives Casimiro, Shallcross Smith, Noret, Alzate, Solomon, and Kazarian |
| Date Introduced: February 21, 2023 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 31-10-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators’ |
| and Chauffeurs’ Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Contingent amendment; see |
| other version.] |
| (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of |
| classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years |
| of age for a limited instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, |
| specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall |
| be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board |
| of regents and which course of instruction shall be approved by the board of governors for higher |
| education. In case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may |
| declare, when no certified instructor is available to teach, an individual eligible to teach at the |
| community college of Rhode Island who has taken the required course of instruction in driver |
| education, may provide driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include |
| information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and |
| information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The |
| board of governors for higher education shall ensure that each person properly certified and |
| approved to instruct driver education courses shall be given an equal opportunity for employment |
| as an instructor within the driver education program. No person teaching driver education under |
| this section shall own, be employed by, or be associated with a commercial driving school. |
| (b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less |
| than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age. |
| (c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set |
| forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a |
| need for a separate program of instruction. |
| (d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for |
| physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in |
| the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by |
| the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed |
| physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a |
| competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition |
| fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program. |
| (e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in |
| accordance with rules and regulations of the board of governors for higher education; provided, |
| that personal checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The |
| tuition or enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any |
| and all costs associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode |
| Island and administered by the community college of Rhode Island. |
| (f) The board of governors for higher education is authorized to establish administrative |
| regulations to further implement this section. |
| (g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover |
| the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions |
| established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education |
| program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the |
| Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, |
| the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson |
| of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state |
| budget officer. |
| (h) The board of governors for higher education shall provide for an optional and voluntary |
| course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where applicable, on the |
| content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated licensing for |
| persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The community college of Rhode |
| Island shall be responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent |
| instruction, or may approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to |
| it, and shall promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the |
| instruction. |
| (i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be |
| included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license |
| examination. |
| (j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of |
| marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent. |
| (k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon |
| the effective date of this subsection and shall only be implemented upon the approval of the course |
| by the state board of education. |
| 31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Contingent effective date; see |
| note.] |
| (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of |
| classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years |
| of age, for a limited-instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, |
| specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall |
| be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board |
| of education and which course of instruction shall be approved by the state board of education. In |
| case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may declare, when no |
| certified instructor is available to teach, that an individual eligible to teach at the community college |
| of Rhode Island, who has taken the required course of instruction in driver education, may provide |
| driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include information concerning |
| the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor |
| cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The state board of education |
| shall ensure that each person properly certified and approved to instruct driver education courses |
| shall be given an equal opportunity for employment as an instructor within the driver education |
| program. No person teaching driver education under this section shall own, be employed by, or be |
| associated with a commercial driving school. |
| (b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less |
| than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age. |
| (c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set |
| forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a |
| need for a separate program of instruction. |
| (d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for |
| physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in |
| the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by |
| the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed |
| physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a |
| competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition |
| fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program. |
| (e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in |
| accordance with rules and regulations of the state board of education; provided, that personal |
| checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The tuition or |
| enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any and all costs |
| associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode Island and |
| administered by the community college of Rhode Island. |
| (f) The state board of education is authorized to establish administrative regulations to |
| further implement this section. |
| (g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover |
| the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions |
| established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education |
| program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the |
| Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, |
| the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson |
| of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state |
| budget officer. |
| (h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, the state board of education shall |
| provide for a required course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where |
| applicable, on the content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated |
| licensing for persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The course of |
| instruction shall be made available in a classroom setting at numerous locations, days, and times |
| throughout the state, approved by the community college of Rhode Island. All costs and expenses |
| associated with the course of instruction, including, but not limited to, materials, instructors, and |
| location fees shall be at the sole expense of the program providers. Once approved by the state |
| board of education, an online course of instruction shall be made available to parent(s), guardian(s), |
| or designee(s), where applicable, to meet the requirements of this section. Under no circumstances |
| shall any parent, guardian, or designee, where applicable, be required to pay any cost or fee in |
| association with participation in the course required by this section. Upon completion of the course |
| pursuant to this section, no parent, guardian, or designee shall be required to take the course more |
| than one time in a five-year (5) period. Parents, guardians, and designees with multiple children |
| having completed this course shall be deemed to have satisfied this requirement for each child in |
| their care applying for his or her license during the five-year (5) period. Should AAA or any other |
| provider cease to provide the course and no other provider exists, the community college of Rhode |
| Island shall not be required to provide the course of instruction nor shall it be required to pay any |
| of the costs associated therewith. Parents, guardians, and designees shall not be required to |
| complete the course prior to their child obtaining a license during any time at which a qualified |
| program under this section does not exist. The community college of Rhode Island shall be |
| responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent instruction, or may |
| approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to it, and shall |
| promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the instruction. Should a |
| qualified program cease to exist for a period of time greater than six (6) months, the course of |
| instruction will not be required. |
| (i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be |
| included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license |
| examination. |
| (j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of |
| marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent. |
| (k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon |
| the effective date of this subsection and shall only be implemented upon the approval of the course |
| by the state board of education. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC001188/SUB A/2 |
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