103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3151

 

Introduced 2/6/2024, by Sen. Steve Stadelman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/27-24.2  from Ch. 122, par. 27-24.2

    Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning safety education and driver education courses, provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, the course instruction relating to highway construction and maintenance zones shall include at least one clock hour on worker safety in highway construction and maintenance zones. Effective immediately.


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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3151LRB103 37118 RJT 67237 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
527-24.2 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27-24.2)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-24.2)
7    Sec. 27-24.2. Safety education; driver education course.
8Instruction shall be given in safety education in each of
9grades one through 8, equivalent to one class period each
10week, and any school district which maintains grades 9 through
1112 shall offer a driver education course in any such school
12which it operates. Its curriculum shall include content
13dealing with Chapters 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 of the Illinois
14Vehicle Code, the rules adopted pursuant to those Chapters
15insofar as they pertain to the operation of motor vehicles,
16and the portions of the Litter Control Act relating to the
17operation of motor vehicles. The course of instruction given
18in grades 10 through 12 shall include an emphasis on the
19development of knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills
20necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles, including
21motorcycles insofar as they can be taught in the classroom,
22and instruction on distracted driving as a major traffic
23safety issue. In addition, the course shall include

 

 

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1instruction on special hazards existing at and required safety
2and driving precautions that must be observed at emergency
3situations, highway construction and maintenance zones, and
4railroad crossings and the approaches thereto. Beginning with
5the 2017-2018 school year, the course shall also include
6instruction concerning law enforcement procedures for traffic
7stops, including a demonstration of the proper actions to be
8taken during a traffic stop and appropriate interactions with
9law enforcement. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, the
10course instruction relating to highway construction and
11maintenance zones shall include at least one clock hour on
12worker safety in highway construction and maintenance zones.
13The course of instruction required of each eligible student at
14the high school level shall consist of a minimum of 30 clock
15hours of classroom instruction and a minimum of 6 clock hours
16of individual behind-the-wheel instruction in a dual control
17car on public roadways taught by a driver education instructor
18endorsed by the State Board of Education. A school district's
19decision to allow a student to take a portion of the driver
20education course through a distance learning program must be
21determined on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the
22school's administration, including the student's driver
23education teacher, and the student's parent or guardian. Under
24no circumstances may the student take the entire driver
25education course through a distance learning program. Both the
26classroom instruction part and the practice driving part of a

 

 

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1driver education course shall be open to a resident or
2non-resident student attending a non-public school in the
3district wherein the course is offered. Each student attending
4any public or non-public high school in the district must
5receive a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the
6previous 2 semesters prior to enrolling in a driver education
7course, or the student shall not be permitted to enroll in the
8course; provided that the local superintendent of schools
9(with respect to a student attending a public high school in
10the district) or chief school administrator (with respect to a
11student attending a non-public high school in the district)
12may waive the requirement if the superintendent or chief
13school administrator, as the case may be, deems it to be in the
14best interest of the student. A student may be allowed to
15commence the classroom instruction part of such driver
16education course prior to reaching age 15 if such student then
17will be eligible to complete the entire course within 12
18months after being allowed to commence such classroom
19instruction.
20    A school district may offer a driver education course in a
21school by contracting with a commercial driver training school
22to provide both the classroom instruction part and the
23practice driving part or either one without having to request
24a modification or waiver of administrative rules of the State
25Board of Education if the school district approves the action
26during a public hearing on whether to enter into a contract

 

 

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1with a commercial driver training school. The public hearing
2shall be held at a regular or special school board meeting
3prior to entering into such a contract. If a school district
4chooses to approve a contract with a commercial driver
5training school, then the district must provide evidence to
6the State Board of Education that the commercial driver
7training school with which it will contract holds a license
8issued by the Secretary of State under Article IV of Chapter 6
9of the Illinois Vehicle Code and that each instructor employed
10by the commercial driver training school to provide
11instruction to students served by the school district holds a
12valid teaching license issued under the requirements of this
13Code and rules of the State Board of Education. Such evidence
14must include, but need not be limited to, a list of each
15instructor assigned to teach students served by the school
16district, which list shall include the instructor's name,
17personal identification number as required by the State Board
18of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. Once
19the contract is entered into, the school district shall notify
20the State Board of Education of any changes in the personnel
21providing instruction either (i) within 15 calendar days after
22an instructor leaves the program or (ii) before a new
23instructor is hired. Such notification shall include the
24instructor's name, personal identification number as required
25by the State Board of Education, birth date, and driver's
26license number. If the school district maintains an Internet

 

 

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1website, then the district shall post a copy of the final
2contract between the district and the commercial driver
3training school on the district's Internet website. If no
4Internet website exists, then the school district shall make
5available the contract upon request. A record of all materials
6in relation to the contract must be maintained by the school
7district and made available to parents and guardians upon
8request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license
9number and any other personally identifying information as
10deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994
11must be redacted from any public materials.
12    Such a course may be commenced immediately after the
13completion of a prior course. Teachers of such courses shall
14meet the licensure requirements of this Code and regulations
15of the State Board as to qualifications. Except for a contract
16with a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist, a school
17district that contracts with a third party to teach a driver
18education course under this Section must ensure the teacher
19meets the educator licensure and endorsement requirements
20under Article 21B and must follow the same evaluation and
21observation requirements that apply to non-tenured teachers
22under Article 24A. The teacher evaluation must be conducted by
23a school administrator employed by the school district and
24must be submitted annually to the district superintendent and
25all school board members for oversight purposes.
26    Subject to rules of the State Board of Education, the

 

 

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1school district may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed
2$50, to students who participate in the course, unless a
3student is unable to pay for such a course, in which event the
4fee for such a student must be waived. However, the district
5may increase this fee to an amount not to exceed $250 by school
6board resolution following a public hearing on the increase,
7which increased fee must be waived for students who
8participate in the course and are unable to pay for the course.
9The total amount from driver education fees and reimbursement
10from the State for driver education must not exceed the total
11cost of the driver education program in any year and must be
12deposited into the school district's driver education fund as
13a separate line item budget entry. All moneys deposited into
14the school district's driver education fund must be used
15solely for the funding of a high school driver education
16program approved by the State Board of Education that uses
17driver education instructors endorsed by the State Board of
18Education.
19(Source: P.A. 101-183, eff. 8-2-19; 101-450, eff. 8-23-19;
20102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.