HB0247 EngrossedLRB101 04957 AXK 49966 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 week,
10and any school district which maintains grades 9 through 12
11shall offer a driver education course in any such school which
12it operates. Its curriculum shall include content dealing with
13Chapters 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 of the Illinois Vehicle Code,
14the rules adopted pursuant to those Chapters insofar as they
15pertain to the operation of motor vehicles, and the portions of
16the Litter Control Act relating to the operation of motor
17vehicles. The course of instruction given in grades 10 through
1812 shall include an emphasis on the development of knowledge,
19attitudes, habits, and skills necessary for the safe operation
20of motor vehicles, including motorcycles insofar as they can be
21taught in the classroom, and instruction on distracted driving
22as a major traffic safety issue. In addition, the course shall
23include instruction on special hazards existing at and required

 

 

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1safety and driving precautions that must be observed at
2emergency situations, highway construction and maintenance
3zones, and railroad crossings and the approaches thereto.
4Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the course shall also
5include instruction concerning law enforcement procedures for
6traffic stops, including a demonstration of the proper actions
7to be taken during a traffic stop and appropriate interactions
8with law enforcement. The course of instruction required of
9each eligible student at the high school level shall consist of
10a minimum of 30 clock hours of classroom instruction and a
11minimum of 6 clock hours of individual behind-the-wheel
12instruction in a dual control car on public roadways taught by
13a driver education instructor endorsed by the State Board of
14Education. Both the classroom instruction part and the practice
15driving part of such driver education course shall be open to a
16resident or non-resident student attending a non-public school
17in the district wherein the course is offered. Each student
18attending any public or non-public high school in the district
19must receive a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the
20previous 2 semesters prior to enrolling in a driver education
21course, or the student shall not be permitted to enroll in the
22course; provided that the local superintendent of schools (with
23respect to a student attending a public high school in the
24district) or chief school administrator (with respect to a
25student attending a non-public high school in the district) may
26waive the requirement if the superintendent or chief school

 

 

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1administrator, as the case may be, deems it to be in the best
2interest of the student. A student may be allowed to commence
3the classroom instruction part of such driver education course
4prior to reaching age 15 if such student then will be eligible
5to complete the entire course within 12 months after being
6allowed to commence such classroom instruction.
7    A school district may offer a driver education course in a
8school by contracting with a commercial driver training school
9to provide both the classroom instruction part and the practice
10driving part or either one without having to request a
11modification or waiver of administrative rules of the State
12Board of Education if the school district approves the action
13during a public hearing on whether to enter into a contract
14with a commercial driver training school. The public hearing
15shall be held at a regular or special school board meeting
16prior to entering into such a contract. If a school district
17chooses to approve a contract with a commercial driver training
18school, then the district must provide evidence to the State
19Board of Education that the commercial driver training school
20with which it will contract holds a license issued by the
21Secretary of State under Article IV of Chapter 6 of the
22Illinois Vehicle Code and that each instructor employed by the
23commercial driver training school to provide instruction to
24students served by the school district holds a valid teaching
25license issued under the requirements of this Code and rules of
26the State Board of Education. Such evidence must include, but

 

 

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1need not be limited to, a list of each instructor assigned to
2teach students served by the school district, which list shall
3include the instructor's name, personal identification number
4as required by the State Board of Education, birth date, and
5driver's license number. Once the contract is entered into, the
6school district shall notify the State Board of Education of
7any changes in the personnel providing instruction either (i)
8within 15 calendar days after an instructor leaves the program
9or (ii) before a new instructor is hired. Such notification
10shall include the instructor's name, personal identification
11number as required by the State Board of Education, birth date,
12and driver's license number. If the school district maintains
13an Internet website, then the district shall post a copy of the
14final contract between the district and the commercial driver
15training school on the district's Internet website. If no
16Internet website exists, then the school district shall make
17available the contract upon request. A record of all materials
18in relation to the contract must be maintained by the school
19district and made available to parents and guardians upon
20request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license
21number and any other personally identifying information as
22deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994
23must be redacted from any public materials.
24    Such a course may be commenced immediately after the
25completion of a prior course. Teachers of such courses shall
26meet the licensure requirements of this Code and regulations of

 

 

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1the State Board as to qualifications. A school district that
2contracts with a third party to teach a driver education course
3under this Section must ensure the teacher meets the educator
4licensure and endorsement requirements under Article 21B and
5must follow the same evaluation and observation requirements
6that apply to non-tenured teachers under Article 24A. The
7teacher evaluation must be conducted by a school administrator
8employed by the school district and must be submitted annually
9to the district superintendent and all school board members for
10oversight purposes.
11    Subject to rules of the State Board of Education, the
12school district may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed $50,
13to students who participate in the course, unless a student is
14unable to pay for such a course, in which event the fee for
15such a student must be waived. However, the district may
16increase this fee to an amount not to exceed $250 by school
17board resolution following a public hearing on the increase,
18which increased fee must be waived for students who participate
19in the course and are unable to pay for the course. The total
20amount from driver education fees and reimbursement from the
21State for driver education must not exceed the total cost of
22the driver education program in any year and must be deposited
23into the school district's driver education fund as a separate
24line item budget entry. All moneys deposited into the school
25district's driver education fund must be used solely for the
26funding of a high school driver education program approved by

 

 

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1the State Board of Education that uses driver education
2instructors endorsed by the State Board of Education.
3(Source: P.A. 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-720, eff. 1-1-17;
4100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)
 
5    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6becoming law.