This bill establishes an alternative driver education program and authorizes the commissioner of safety to develop and adopt rules for the program. The program would require individuals under the age of 18 to complete 40 hours of supervised driving time, classroom instruction, a visual acuity and knowledge examination, and the driver training program. The bill also requires the hiring of 80 training specialists and the purchase of 80 new vehicles for the program, with ongoing costs for insurance and maintenance. The Department of Safety does not anticipate being able to charge fees for the program, so it does not expect any impact on state revenue.

The fiscal note for this bill states that there will be an increase in expenditures for the Department of Safety's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to develop and administer the driver training program. The estimated cost for these positions is approximately $6,112,000 in FY 2025 and $6,016,000+ in FY 2026 and FY 2027. The bill does not provide sufficient funding to cover these expenditures and does not authorize new positions to implement the program.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 263:19