Public Act 097-0145
 
SB1643 EnrolledLRB097 08327 NHT 48454 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
27-24.2 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/27-24.2)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-24.2)
    Sec. 27-24.2. Safety education; driver education course.
Instruction shall be given in safety education in each of
grades one though 8, equivalent to one class period each week,
and any school district which maintains grades 9 through 12
shall offer a driver education course in any such school which
it operates. Its curriculum shall include content dealing with
Chapters 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 of the Illinois Vehicle Code,
the rules adopted pursuant to those Chapters insofar as they
pertain to the operation of motor vehicles, and the portions of
the Litter Control Act relating to the operation of motor
vehicles. The course of instruction given in grades 10 through
12 shall include an emphasis on the development of knowledge,
attitudes, habits, and skills necessary for the safe operation
of motor vehicles, including motorcycles insofar as they can be
taught in the classroom, and instruction on distracted driving
as a major traffic safety issue. In addition, the course shall
include instruction on special hazards existing at and required
safety and driving precautions that must be observed at
emergency situations, highway construction and maintenance
zones, and railroad crossings and the approaches thereto. The
course of instruction required of each eligible student at the
high school level shall consist of a minimum of 30 clock hours
of classroom instruction and a minimum of 6 clock hours of
individual behind-the-wheel instruction in a dual control car
on public roadways taught by a driver education instructor
endorsed by the State Board of Education. Both the classroom
instruction part and the practice driving part of such driver
education course shall be open to a resident or non-resident
student attending a non-public school in the district wherein
the course is offered. Each student attending any public or
non-public high school in the district must receive a passing
grade in at least 8 courses during the previous 2 semesters
prior to enrolling in a driver education course, or the student
shall not be permitted to enroll in the course; provided that
the local superintendent of schools (with respect to a student
attending a public high school in the district) or chief school
administrator (with respect to a student attending a non-public
high school in the district) may waive the requirement if the
superintendent or chief school administrator, as the case may
be, deems it to be in the best interest of the student. A
student may be allowed to commence the classroom instruction
part of such driver education course prior to reaching age 15
if such student then will be eligible to complete the entire
course within 12 months after being allowed to commence such
classroom instruction.
    Such a course may be commenced immediately after the
completion of a prior course. Teachers of such courses shall
meet the certification requirements of this Act and regulations
of the State Board as to qualifications.
    Subject to rules of the State Board of Education, the
school district may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed $50,
to students who participate in the course, unless a student is
unable to pay for such a course, in which event the fee for
such a student must be waived. However, the district may
increase this fee to an amount not to exceed $250 by school
board resolution following a public hearing on the increase,
which increased fee must be waived for students who participate
in the course and are unable to pay for the course. The total
amount from driver education fees and reimbursement from the
State for driver education must not exceed the total cost of
the driver education program in any year and must be deposited
into the school district's driver education fund as a separate
line item budget entry. All moneys deposited into the school
district's driver education fund must be used solely for the
funding of a high school driver education program approved by
the State Board of Education that uses driver education
instructors endorsed by the State Board of Education.
(Source: P.A. 95-339, eff. 8-21-07; 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.