The bill amends the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act by adding a new section that mandates all participants in a driver education course to complete a work zone safety education course starting January 1, 2027. This course must be approved by the Department of State and developed in conjunction with the Department of Transportation. It will consist of at least 30 minutes of education, which can be delivered either online or in-person, and will cover essential topics such as navigating highway construction zones, safety precautions for drivers and workers, legal requirements and penalties for traffic violations in work zones, and strategies for safe driving around construction equipment.

Additionally, successful completion of the work zone safety education course must be documented and submitted to the Department of State before a level 2 graduated driver license can be issued. The Department of State is tasked with developing a standardized curriculum for the course and may collaborate with various stakeholders to keep the content updated. Importantly, the course must be provided at no additional cost to the participants. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the passage of House Bill No. 5768.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 256.621, 256.705