2024 -- S 2903 | |
======== | |
LC005727 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS' | |
LICENSES | |
| |
Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Zurier, and Acosta | |
Date Introduced: March 22, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Legislative findings. |
2 | (1) The Rhode Island department of education has temporarily authorized driver education |
3 | schools to deliver the thirty-three (33) hour community college of Rhode Island approved driver |
4 | training curriculum in an instructor-led virtual format since April, 2020. |
5 | (2) The virtual platform used to present the curriculum allows the instructor to see the |
6 | students on-screen and monitor student engagement by providing spot quizzes, interactive question |
7 | and answer sessions, class polling and a final exam. |
8 | (3) Scores for exams taken in a classroom setting (pre-pandemic) and those taken virtually |
9 | are comparable (90.94 on average for in-person vs. 89.58 on average for virtual). |
10 | (4) Virtual instruction can provide workable alternatives to students with physical, |
11 | emotional, or other learning challenges. |
12 | (5) A virtual instruction option promotes greater accessibility to the curriculum advancing |
13 | equity and inclusion. |
14 | (6) A virtual option can be particularly important in rural areas or Rhode Island |
15 | communities where no classroom instruction is available. |
16 | SECTION 2. Section 31-10-20 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators’ |
17 | and Chauffeurs’ Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
18 | 31-10-20. Driver education course requirement before licensing. |
| |
1 | (a) No limited-instruction permit or license shall be issued to any person not more than |
2 | eighteen (18) years of age unless that person shall have successfully completed a course of |
3 | instruction as provided in § 31-10-19, or a similar course of instruction, conducted in a classroom |
4 | setting or in an instructor-led virtual format, recognized by the state board of education as |
5 | equivalent to it. However, any person who is over eighteen (18) years of age and has been a holder |
6 | of a motor vehicle operator’s license issued to that person by any other state, territory, or possession |
7 | of the United States, or any other sovereignty for a period of one year immediately prior to his or |
8 | her application for a license under this chapter shall not be required to comply with the provisions |
9 | of this section. |
10 | (b) Commencing on July 1, 2004, no limited-instruction permit or license shall be issued |
11 | to any person not more than eighteen (18) years of age unless that person shall have successfully |
12 | completed a course of instruction as provided in § 31-10-19, or a similar course of instruction in |
13 | another state recognized by the state board of education as equivalent to it. In determining whether |
14 | a course is equivalent, the state board of education shall at a minimum require: (1) That the course |
15 | consist of at least thirty-three (33) instructional hours that substantially conform with the current |
16 | curriculum utilized by the instructor(s) at the Community College of Rhode Island, including a |
17 | minimum of three (3) hours of instruction focusing upon specific Rhode Island traffic laws, the |
18 | specific requirements of the Rhode Island graduated-licensing statute in § 31-10-6, and eight (8) |
19 | hours specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver. All driver’s |
20 | education programs shall include information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift |
21 | Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions |
22 | of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23; (2) That the instructor holds a valid teacher’s certificate; (3) That the |
23 | instructor satisfactorily completes at least a three-credit (3) course in traffic safety education at an |
24 | accredited institution of higher education; and (4) That the program does not offer outside the |
25 | classroom road test instruction or driving lessons to Rhode Island students. However, any person |
26 | who is over eighteen (18) years of age and has been a holder of a motor vehicle operator’s license |
27 | issued to that person by any other state, territory, or possession of the United States, or any other |
28 | sovereignty for a period of one year immediately prior to his or her application for a license under |
29 | this chapter shall not be required to comply with the provisions of this section. |
30 | (c) The driver’s education course and driver’s license examination shall include material |
31 | pertaining to a driver’s rights and responsibilities when stopped by a law enforcement officer as |
32 | explained during the driver education course, including, but not limited to, rights provided to |
33 | drivers pursuant to chapter 21.2 of title 31, the “comprehensive community-police relationship act |
34 | of 2015.” |
| LC005727 - Page 2 of 4 |
1 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC005727 | |
======== | |
| LC005727 - Page 3 of 4 |
EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS' | |
LICENSES | |
*** | |
1 | This act would authorize driver education schools to offer the driver training curriculum in |
2 | a classroom setting or an instructor-led virtual format. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC005727 | |
======== | |
| LC005727 - Page 4 of 4 |