SB3151 EngrossedLRB103 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,
4including worker safety in highway construction and
5maintenance zones, and railroad crossings and the approaches
6thereto. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the course
7shall also include instruction concerning law enforcement
8procedures for traffic stops, including a demonstration of the
9proper actions to be taken during a traffic stop and
10appropriate interactions with law enforcement. The course of
11instruction required of each eligible student at the high
12school level shall consist of a minimum of 30 clock hours of
13classroom instruction and a minimum of 6 clock hours of
14individual behind-the-wheel instruction in a dual control car
15on public roadways taught by a driver education instructor
16endorsed by the State Board of Education. A school district's
17decision to allow a student to take a portion of the driver
18education course through a distance learning program must be
19determined on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the
20school's administration, including the student's driver
21education teacher, and the student's parent or guardian. Under
22no circumstances may the student take the entire driver
23education course through a distance learning program. Both the
24classroom instruction part and the practice driving part of a
25driver education course shall be open to a resident or
26non-resident student attending a non-public school in the

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1training school on the district's Internet website. If no
2Internet website exists, then the school district shall make
3available the contract upon request. A record of all materials
4in relation to the contract must be maintained by the school
5district and made available to parents and guardians upon
6request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license
7number and any other personally identifying information as
8deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994
9must be redacted from any public materials.
10    Such a course may be commenced immediately after the
11completion of a prior course. Teachers of such courses shall
12meet the licensure requirements of this Code and regulations
13of the State Board as to qualifications. Except for a contract
14with a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist, a school
15district that contracts with a third party to teach a driver
16education course under this Section must ensure the teacher
17meets the educator licensure and endorsement requirements
18under Article 21B and must follow the same evaluation and
19observation requirements that apply to non-tenured teachers
20under Article 24A. The teacher evaluation must be conducted by
21a school administrator employed by the school district and
22must be submitted annually to the district superintendent and
23all school board members for oversight purposes.
24    Subject to rules of the State Board of Education, the
25school district may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed
26$50, to students who participate in the course, unless a

 

 

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1student is unable to pay for such a course, in which event the
2fee for such a student must be waived. However, the district
3may increase this fee to an amount not to exceed $250 by school
4board resolution following a public hearing on the increase,
5which increased fee must be waived for students who
6participate in the course and are unable to pay for the course.
7The total amount from driver education fees and reimbursement
8from the State for driver education must not exceed the total
9cost of the driver education program in any year and must be
10deposited into the school district's driver education fund as
11a separate line item budget entry. All moneys deposited into
12the school district's driver education fund must be used
13solely for the funding of a high school driver education
14program approved by the State Board of Education that uses
15driver education instructors endorsed by the State Board of
16Education.
17(Source: P.A. 101-183, eff. 8-2-19; 101-450, eff. 8-23-19;
18102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect August
201, 2024.