Public Act 0168 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1009 Enrolled LRB098 07991 MLW 38081 b

Public Act 098-0168

AN ACT concerning transportation, which may be referred to as "Kelsey's Law".

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 6-107, 6-108, and 6-301.3 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/6-107) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-107)

Sec. 6-107. Graduated license.

(a) The purpose of the Graduated Licensing Program is to develop safe and mature driving habits in young, inexperienced drivers and reduce or prevent motor vehicle accidents, fatalities, and injuries by:

(1) providing for an increase in the time of practice period before granting permission to obtain a driver's license;

(2) strengthening driver licensing and testing standards for persons under the age of 21 years;

(3) sanctioning driving privileges of drivers under age 21 who have committed serious traffic violations or other specified offenses; and

(4) setting stricter standards to promote the public's health and safety.

(b) The application of any person under the age of 18 years, and not legally emancipated, for a drivers license or permit to operate a motor vehicle issued under the laws of this State, shall be accompanied by the written consent of either parent of the applicant; otherwise by the guardian having custody of the applicant, or in the event there is no parent or guardian, then by another responsible adult. The written consent must accompany any application for a driver's license under this subsection (b), regardless of whether or not the required written consent also accompanied the person's previous application for an instruction permit.

No graduated driver's license shall be issued to any applicant under 18 years of age, unless the applicant is at least 16 years of age and has:

(1) Held a valid instruction permit for a minimum of 9 months.

(2) Passed an approved driver education course and submits proof of having passed the course as may be required.

(3) Certification by the parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult that the applicant has had a minimum of 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice time, at least 10 hours of which have been at night, and is sufficiently prepared and able to safely operate a motor vehicle.

(b-1) No graduated driver's license shall be issued to any applicant who is under 18 years of age and not legally emancipated, unless the applicant has graduated from a secondary school of this State or any other state, is enrolled in a course leading to a general educational development (GED) certificate, has obtained a GED certificate, is enrolled in an elementary or secondary school or college or university of this State or any other state and is not a chronic or habitual truant as provided in Section 26-2a of the School Code, or is receiving home instruction and submits proof of meeting any of those requirements at the time of application.

An applicant under 18 years of age who provides proof acceptable to the Secretary that the applicant has resumed regular school attendance or home instruction or that his or her application was denied in error shall be eligible to receive a graduated license if other requirements are met. The Secretary shall adopt rules for implementing this subsection (b-1).

(c) No graduated driver's license or permit shall be issued to any applicant under 18 years of age who has committed the offense of operating a motor vehicle without a valid license or permit in violation of Section 6-101 of this Code or a similar out of state offense and no graduated driver's license or permit shall be issued to any applicant under 18 years of age who has committed an offense that would otherwise result in a mandatory revocation of a license or permit as provided in Section 6-205 of this Code or who has been either convicted of or adjudicated a delinquent based upon a violation of the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Use of Intoxicating Compounds Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act while that individual was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle. For purposes of this Section, any person placed on probation under Section 10 of the Cannabis Control Act, Section 410 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or Section 70 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act shall not be considered convicted. Any person found guilty of this offense, while in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, shall have an entry made in the court record by the judge that this offense did occur while the person was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle and order the clerk of the court to report the violation to the Secretary of State as such.

(d) No graduated driver's license shall be issued for 9 months to any applicant under the age of 18 years who has committed and subsequently been convicted of an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles, any violation of this Section or Section 12-603.1 of this Code, or who has received a disposition of court supervision for a violation of Section 6-20 of the Illinois Liquor Control Act of 1934 or a similar provision of a local ordinance.

(e) No graduated driver's license holder under the age of 18 years shall operate any motor vehicle, except a motor driven cycle or motorcycle, with more than one passenger in the front seat of the motor vehicle and no more passengers in the back seats than the number of available seat safety belts as set forth in Section 12-603 of this Code. If a graduated driver's license holder over the age of 18 committed an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles or any violation of this Section or Section 12-603.1 of this Code in the 6 months prior to the graduated driver's license holder's 18th birthday, and was subsequently convicted of the violation, the provisions of this paragraph shall continue to apply until such time as a period of 6 consecutive months has elapsed without an additional violation and subsequent conviction of an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles or any violation of this Section or Section 12-603.1 of this Code.

(f) (Blank).

(g) If a graduated driver's license holder is under the age of 18 when he or she receives the license, for the first 12 months he or she holds the license or until he or she reaches the age of 18, whichever occurs sooner, the graduated license holder may not operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger in the vehicle who is under the age of 20, unless any additional passenger or passengers are siblings, step-siblings, children, or stepchildren of the driver. If a graduated driver's license holder committed an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles or any violation of this Section or Section 12-603.1 of this Code during the first 12 months the license is held and subsequently is convicted of the violation, the provisions of this paragraph shall remain in effect until such time as a period of 6 consecutive months has elapsed without an additional violation and subsequent conviction of an offense against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles or any violation of this Section or Section 12-603.1 of this Code.

(h) It shall be an offense for a person that is age 15, but under age 20, to be a passenger in a vehicle operated by a driver holding a graduated driver's license during the first 12 months the driver holds the license or until the driver reaches the age of 18, whichever occurs sooner, if another passenger under the age of 20 is present, excluding a sibling, step-sibling, child, or step-child of the driver.

(i) No graduated driver's license shall be issued to any applicant under the age of 18 years if the applicant has been issued a traffic citation for which a disposition has not been rendered at the time of application.

(Source: P.A. 96-607, eff. 8-24-09; 97-229, eff. 7-28-11; 97-835, eff. 7-20-12.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-108) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-108)

Sec. 6-108. Cancellation of license issued to minor.

(a) The Secretary of State shall cancel the license or permit of any minor under the age of 18 years in any of the following events:

1. Upon the verified written request of the person who consented to the application of the minor that the license or permit be cancelled;

2. Upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of the death of the person who consented to the application of the minor;

3. Upon receipt of satisfactory evidence that the person who consented to the application of a minor no longer has legal custody of the minor;

4. Upon receipt of information, submitted on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State under Section 26-3a of the School Code and provided voluntarily by nonpublic schools, that a license-holding minor no longer meets the school attendance requirements defined in Section 6-107 of this Code.

A minor who provides proof acceptable to the Secretary that the minor has resumed regular school attendance or home instruction or that his or her license or permit was cancelled in error shall have his or her license reinstated. The Secretary shall adopt rules for implementing this subdivision (a)4.

5. Upon determination by the Secretary that at the time of license issuance, the minor held an instruction permit and had a traffic citation for which a disposition had not been rendered.

After cancellation, the Secretary of State shall not issue a new license or permit until the applicant meets the provisions of Section 6-107 of this Code.

(b) The Secretary of State shall cancel the license or permit of any person under the age of 18 years if he or she is convicted of violating the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act while that person was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle. For purposes of this Section, any person placed on probation under Section 10 of the Cannabis Control Act, Section 410 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or Section 70 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act shall not be considered convicted. Any person found guilty of this offense, while in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, shall have an entry made in the court record by the judge that this offense did occur while the person was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle and order the clerk of the court to report the violation to the Secretary of State as such. After the cancellation, the Secretary of State shall not issue a new license or permit for a period of one year after the date of cancellation or until the minor attains the age of 18 years, whichever is longer. However, upon application, the Secretary of State may, if satisfied that the person applying will not endanger the public safety, or welfare, issue a restricted driving permit granting the privilege of driving a motor vehicle between the person's residence and person's place of employment or within the scope of the person's employment related duties, or to allow transportation for the person or a household member of the person's family for the receipt of necessary medical care or, if the professional evaluation indicates, provide transportation for the petitioner for alcohol remedial or rehabilitative activity, or for the person to attend classes, as a student, in an accredited educational institution; if the person is able to demonstrate that no alternative means of transportation is reasonably available; provided that the Secretary's discretion shall be limited to cases where undue hardship would result from a failure to issue such restricted driving permit. In each case the Secretary of State may issue a restricted driving permit for a period as he deems appropriate, except that the permit shall expire within one year from the date of issuance. A restricted driving permit issued hereunder shall be subject to cancellation, revocation, and suspension by the Secretary of State in like manner and for like cause as a driver's license issued hereunder may be cancelled, revoked, or suspended; except that a conviction upon one or more offenses against laws or ordinances regulating the movement of traffic shall be deemed sufficient cause for the revocation, suspension, or cancellation of a restricted driving permit. The Secretary of State may, as a condition to the issuance of a restricted driving permit, require the applicant to participate in a driver remedial or rehabilitative program. Thereafter, upon reapplication for a license as provided in Section 6-106 of this Code or a permit as provided in Section 6-105 of this Code and upon payment of the appropriate application fee, the Secretary of State shall issue the applicant a license as provided in Section 6-106 of this Code or shall issue the applicant a permit as provided in Section 6-105.

(Source: P.A. 94-556, eff. 9-11-05; 94-916, eff. 7-1-07; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-301.3)

Sec. 6-301.3. Invalidation of a driver's license or permit.

(a) The Secretary of State may invalidate a driver's license or permit:

(1) when the holder voluntarily surrenders the license or permit and declares his or her intention to do so in writing to the Secretary;

(2) when the Secretary receives a certified court order indicating the holder is to refrain from driving;

(3) upon the death of the holder; or

(4) as the Secretary deems appropriate by administrative rule.

(b) A driver's license or permit invalidated under this Section shall nullify the holder's driving privileges. If a license is invalidated under subdivision (a)(3) of this Section, the actual license or permit may be released to a relative of the decedent; provided, the actual license or permit bears a readily identifiable designation evidencing invalidation as prescribed by the Secretary.

(c) If a driver is issued a citation for any violation of this Code or a similar local ordinance and the violation is the proximate cause of the death or Type A injury of another, the prosecuting authority may ask the court to enter an order invalidating the driver's license or permit under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Section. For purposes of this Section, Type A injury has the meaning ascribed in Section 6-108.1 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)