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| Public Act 101-0183 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | ||||
27-24.1 and 27-24.2 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/27-24.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-24.1)
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Sec. 27-24.1. Definitions. As used in the Driver Education | ||||
Act unless the context otherwise
requires:
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"State Board" means the State Board of Education;
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"Driver education course" and "course" means a course of | ||||
instruction
in the use and operation of cars, including | ||||
instruction in the safe
operation of cars and rules of the road | ||||
and the laws of this State
relating to motor vehicles, which | ||||
meets the minimum requirements of this
Act and the rules and | ||||
regulations issued thereunder by the
State Board and has been | ||||
approved by the State
Board as meeting
such requirements;
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"Car" means a motor vehicle of the first Division as | ||||
defined in The
Illinois Vehicle Code;
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"Motorcycle" or "motor driven cycle" means such a vehicle | ||||
as defined
in The Illinois Vehicle Code;
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"Driver's license" means any license or permit issued by | ||||
the
Secretary of State under Chapter 6 of The Illinois Vehicle | ||||
Code.
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"Distance learning program" means a program of study in | ||
which all participating teachers and students do not physically | ||
meet in the classroom and instead use the Internet, email, or | ||
any other method other than the classroom to provide | ||
instruction. | ||
With reference to persons, the singular number includes the | ||
plural
and vice versa, and the masculine gender includes the | ||
feminine.
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(Source: P.A. 81-1508.)
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(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 through 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. | ||
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the course shall also | ||
include instruction concerning law enforcement procedures for | ||
traffic stops, including a demonstration of the proper actions | ||
to be taken during a traffic stop and appropriate interactions | ||
with law enforcement. 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. A school district's decision to allow a student to | ||
take a portion of the driver education course through a | ||
distance learning program must be determined on a case-by-case | ||
basis and must be approved by the school's administration, | ||
including the student's driver education teacher, and the | ||
student's parent or guardian. Under no circumstances may the | ||
student take the entire driver education course through a | ||
distance learning program. Both the classroom instruction part | ||
and the practice driving
part of a 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
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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. | ||
A school district may offer a driver education course in a | ||
school by contracting with a commercial driver training school | ||
to provide both the classroom instruction part and the practice | ||
driving part or either one without having to request a | ||
modification or waiver of administrative rules of the State | ||
Board of Education if the school district approves the action | ||
during a public hearing on whether to enter into a contract | ||
with a commercial driver training school. The public hearing | ||
shall be held at a regular or special school board meeting | ||
prior to entering into such a contract. If a school district | ||
chooses to approve a contract with a commercial driver training | ||
school, then the district must provide evidence to the State | ||
Board of Education that the commercial driver training school | ||
with which it will contract holds a license issued by the | ||
Secretary of State under Article IV of Chapter 6 of the | ||
Illinois Vehicle Code and that each instructor employed by the | ||
commercial driver training school to provide instruction to | ||
students served by the school district holds a valid teaching | ||
license issued under the requirements of this Code and rules of | ||
the State Board of Education. Such evidence must include, but | ||
need not be limited to, a list of each instructor assigned to | ||
teach students served by the school district, which list shall | ||
include the instructor's name, personal identification number | ||
as required by the State Board of Education, birth date, and | ||
driver's license number. Once the contract is entered into, the | ||
school district shall notify the State Board of Education of | ||
any changes in the personnel providing instruction either (i) | ||
within 15 calendar days after an instructor leaves the program | ||
or (ii) before a new instructor is hired. Such notification | ||
shall include the instructor's name, personal identification | ||
number as required by the State Board of Education, birth date, | ||
and driver's license number. If the school district maintains | ||
an Internet website, then the district shall post a copy of the | ||
final contract between the district and the commercial driver | ||
training school on the district's Internet website. If no | ||
Internet website exists, then the school district shall make | ||
available the contract upon request. A record of all materials | ||
in relation to the contract must be maintained by the school | ||
district and made available to parents and guardians upon | ||
request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license | ||
number and any other personally identifying information as | ||
deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 | ||
must be redacted from any public materials. | ||
Such a course may be commenced immediately after the | ||
completion of a prior
course. Teachers of such courses shall | ||
meet the licensure requirements of
this Code 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. 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-720, eff. 1-1-17; | ||
100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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