Illinois General Assembly

  Bills & Resolutions  
  Compiled Statutes  
  Public Acts  
  Legislative Reports  
  IL Constitution  
  Legislative Guide  
  Legislative Glossary  

 Search By Number
 (example: HB0001)
Search Tips

Search By Keyword

Public Act 103-0944


 

Public Act 0944 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
Public Act 103-0944
 
SB3151 EnrolledLRB103 37118 RJT 67237 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 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,
including worker safety in 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
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.
    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. Except for a contract
with a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist, a school
district that contracts with a third party to teach a driver
education course under this Section must ensure the teacher
meets the educator licensure and endorsement requirements
under Article 21B and must follow the same evaluation and
observation requirements that apply to non-tenured teachers
under Article 24A. The teacher evaluation must be conducted by
a school administrator employed by the school district and
must be submitted annually to the district superintendent and
all school board members for oversight purposes.
    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. 101-183, eff. 8-2-19; 101-450, eff. 8-23-19;
102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect August
1, 2024.

Effective Date: 8/9/2024