Bill Sponsors
Appollonio, LaMountain, Urso, Vargas, Quezada, Valverde, Famiglietti, Euer, and McKenney
Committee
Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
Summary
Select
This legislation amends current Rhode Island law regarding driver education courses offered by the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI). Specifically, it establishes that any young person currently in foster care or an adoptive home is eligible for a fee waiver for these classes. This means that the state will cover the cost of the required 33 hours of classroom instruction for these individuals, removing the financial burden of tuition or enrollment fees typically required to obtain a driver's permit.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Promotes economic equity by removing financial barriers for foster youth, a historically vulnerable and disadvantaged population, allowing them equal access to a critical life skill.
- Increases independence and mobility for foster youth, which facilitates better access to employment, education, and social opportunities necessary for transitioning to adulthood.
- Strengthens the social safety net by acknowledging the state's responsibility to fully support the development and needs of children who are wards of the state.
Cons for Progressives
- Does not address the subsequent and significant costs of driving, such as insurance and vehicle access, potentially leaving foster youth with a license but no means to actually drive.
- Places the financial burden on the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) without explicitly allocating new funding, which could strain the resources of the public education system.
- Limits the waiver specifically to CCRI courses, rather than allowing foster youth to choose private driving schools that might be more geographically convenient or accessible.
Pros for Conservatives
- Encourages self-sufficiency and workforce participation among foster youth by helping them obtain the driver's licenses necessary for many jobs.
- Provides targeted assistance to a specific group under state care rather than creating a broad, universal entitlement program for the general public.
- Supports the integration of foster children into society by facilitating a traditional milestone of responsibility and adulthood.
Cons for Conservatives
- Creates a financial loss for the state program that must be absorbed by taxpayers, effectively subsidizing a service that others must pay for.
- Could be viewed as unfair to working-class families who are struggling financially but still must pay full price for their children's driver education.
- Expands government handouts and sets a precedent for waiving fees for various groups, potentially leading to increased bureaucratic costs.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Foster children
- Adoptive families
- Community College of Rhode Island
- Department of Children Youth and Families
- Driver education instructors
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
BillBuddy Impact Ratings
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Freedom Impact
Level of individual freedom impacted by the bill.
Public Services
How much the bill is likely to impact one or more public services.
Regulatory
Estimated regulatory burden imposed on the subject(s) of the bill.
Clarity of Bill Language
How clear the language of the bill is. Higher ambiguity equals a lower score.
Enforcement Provisions
Measures enforcement provisions and penalties for non-compliance (if applicable).
Environmental Impact
Impact the bill will have on the environment, positive or negative.
Privacy Impact
Impact the bill is likely to have on the privacy of individuals.
Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 31-10-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators’ and Chauffeurs’ Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows:
31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Effective until contingency in P.L. 2017, ch. 156 and 160 is met.] (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years of age for a limited instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board of regents and which course of instruction shall be approved by the board of governors for higher education. In case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may declare, when no certified instructor is available to teach, an individual eligible to teach at the community college of Rhode Island who has taken the required course of instruction in driver education, may provide driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The board of governors for higher education shall ensure that each person properly certified and approved to instruct driver education courses shall be given an equal opportunity for employment as an instructor within the driver education program. No person teaching driver education under this section shall own, be employed by, or be associated with a commercial driving school.
(b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age.
(c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a need for a separate program of instruction.
(d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program.
(e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in accordance with rules and regulations of the board of governors for higher education; provided, that personal checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The tuition or enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any and all costs associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode Island and administered by the community college of Rhode Island. Provided further, any person receiving foster caregiving in foster and adoptive homes as defined in § 42-72.1-2, shall be eligible for a fee waiver for driver's education classes at the community college of Rhode Island.
(f) The board of governors for higher education is authorized to establish administrative regulations to further implement this section.
(g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state budget officer.
(h) The board of governors for higher education shall provide for an optional and voluntary course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where applicable, on the LC003680 - Page 2 of 6 content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated licensing for persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The community college of Rhode Island shall be responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent instruction, or may approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to it, and shall promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the instruction.
(i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license examination.
(j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent.
(k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon the effective date of this subsection [June 19, 2023] and shall only be implemented upon the approval of the course by the state board of education.
31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Effective when contingency in P.L. 2017, ch. 156 and 160 is met.] (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years of age, for a limited-instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board of education and which course of instruction shall be approved by the state board of education. In case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may declare, when no certified instructor is available to teach, that an individual eligible to teach at the community college of Rhode Island, who has taken the required course of instruction in driver education, may provide driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The state board of education shall ensure that each person properly certified and approved to instruct driver education courses shall be given an equal opportunity for employment as an instructor within the driver education program. No person teaching driver education under this section shall own, be employed by, or be associated with a commercial driving school.
(b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age. LC003680 - Page 3 of 6
(c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a need for a separate program of instruction.
(d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program.
(e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in accordance with rules and regulations of the state board of education; provided, that personal checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The tuition or enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any and all costs associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode Island and administered by the community college of Rhode Island. Provided further, any person receiving foster caregiving in foster and adoptive homes as defined in § 42-72.1-2, shall be eligible for a fee waiver for driver's education classes at the community college of Rhode Island.
(f) The state board of education is authorized to establish administrative regulations to further implement this section.
(g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state budget officer.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, the state board of education shall provide for a required course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where applicable, on the content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated licensing for persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The course of instruction shall be made available in a classroom setting at numerous locations, days, and times throughout the state, approved by the community college of Rhode Island. All costs and expenses LC003680 - Page 4 of 6 associated with the course of instruction, including, but not limited to, materials, instructors, and location fees shall be at the sole expense of the program providers. Once approved by the state board of education, an online course of instruction shall be made available to parent(s), guardian(s), or designee(s), where applicable, to meet the requirements of this section. Under no circumstances shall any parent, guardian, or designee, where applicable, be required to pay any cost or fee in association with participation in the course required by this section. Upon completion of the course pursuant to this section, no parent, guardian, or designee shall be required to take the course more than one time in a five-year (5) period. Parents, guardians, and designees with multiple children having completed this course shall be deemed to have satisfied this requirement for each child in their care applying for his or her license during the five-year (5) period. Should AAA or any other provider cease to provide the course and no other provider exists, the community college of Rhode Island shall not be required to provide the course of instruction nor shall it be required to pay any of the costs associated therewith. Parents, guardians, and designees shall not be required to complete the course prior to their child obtaining a license during any time at which a qualified program under this section does not exist. The community college of Rhode Island shall be responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent instruction, or may approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to it, and shall promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the instruction. Should a qualified program cease to exist for a period of time greater than six (6) months, the course of instruction will not be required.
(i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license examination.
(j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent.
(k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon the effective date of this subsection [June 19, 2023] and shall only be implemented upon the approval of the course by the state board of education.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Effective until contingency in P.L. 2017, ch. 156 and 160 is met.] (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years of age for a limited instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board of regents and which course of instruction shall be approved by the board of governors for higher education. In case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may declare, when no certified instructor is available to teach, an individual eligible to teach at the community college of Rhode Island who has taken the required course of instruction in driver education, may provide driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The board of governors for higher education shall ensure that each person properly certified and approved to instruct driver education courses shall be given an equal opportunity for employment as an instructor within the driver education program. No person teaching driver education under this section shall own, be employed by, or be associated with a commercial driving school.
(b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age.
(c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a need for a separate program of instruction.
(d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program.
(e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in accordance with rules and regulations of the board of governors for higher education; provided, that personal checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The tuition or enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any and all costs associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode Island and administered by the community college of Rhode Island. Provided further, any person receiving foster caregiving in foster and adoptive homes as defined in § 42-72.1-2, shall be eligible for a fee waiver for driver's education classes at the community college of Rhode Island.
(f) The board of governors for higher education is authorized to establish administrative regulations to further implement this section.
(g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state budget officer.
(h) The board of governors for higher education shall provide for an optional and voluntary course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where applicable, on the LC003680 - Page 2 of 6 content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated licensing for persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The community college of Rhode Island shall be responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent instruction, or may approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to it, and shall promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the instruction.
(i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license examination.
(j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent.
(k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon the effective date of this subsection [June 19, 2023] and shall only be implemented upon the approval of the course by the state board of education.
31-10-19. Driver education — Traffic safety education. [Effective when contingency in P.L. 2017, ch. 156 and 160 is met.] (a) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide thirty-three (33) hours of classroom instruction for applicants or prospective applicants, not more than twenty-one (21) years of age, for a limited-instruction permit or license. The instruction shall include eight (8) hours, specifically for instruction on the effects of alcohol and drugs on a driver, and the instruction shall be given by a person eligible for a teacher’s certificate issued under the authority of the state board of education and which course of instruction shall be approved by the state board of education. In case of emergency, the president of the community college of Rhode Island may declare, when no certified instructor is available to teach, that an individual eligible to teach at the community college of Rhode Island, who has taken the required course of instruction in driver education, may provide driver education instruction. All driver education programs shall include information concerning the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6.1 of title 23, and information on donor cards pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 18.6.1 of title 23. The state board of education shall ensure that each person properly certified and approved to instruct driver education courses shall be given an equal opportunity for employment as an instructor within the driver education program. No person teaching driver education under this section shall own, be employed by, or be associated with a commercial driving school.
(b) Driver education instruction shall be available to any eligible resident applicant not less than fifteen (15) years and ten (10) months of age. LC003680 - Page 3 of 6
(c) That the state shall also provide a separate program of instruction, as previously set forth in this section, for special needs students whose individual education plan (IEP) indicates a need for a separate program of instruction.
(d) The community college of Rhode Island shall provide a driver training program for physically handicapped drivers. The program shall instruct the physically handicapped driver in the operation of adapted vehicles for the handicapped. The adapted vehicles are to be provided by the handicapped individual. A physically handicapped person must be certified by a licensed physician that he or she is physically handicapped and possesses sufficient potential to become a competent motor vehicle operator. The community college of Rhode Island shall establish a tuition fee sufficient to cover the cost of the program.
(e) A tuition or enrollment fee shall be required to be paid by an eligible applicant in accordance with rules and regulations of the state board of education; provided, that personal checks shall be an acceptable method of payment of the tuition or enrollment fee. The tuition or enrollment fee shall be deposited in a restricted receipt account established to pay any and all costs associated with the driver education program at the community college of Rhode Island and administered by the community college of Rhode Island. Provided further, any person receiving foster caregiving in foster and adoptive homes as defined in § 42-72.1-2, shall be eligible for a fee waiver for driver's education classes at the community college of Rhode Island.
(f) The state board of education is authorized to establish administrative regulations to further implement this section.
(g) The community college of Rhode Island shall establish tuition fees sufficient to cover the cost of the program and the administration of the driver education program. All positions established to implement the driver education program and funded in full by driver education program fees shall be exempt from the full-time equivalency cap established in Article 1 of the Appropriations Act, provided, however, that the board of governors shall report by June 1, 2004, the actual number of filled positions funded exclusively by driver education fees to the chairperson of the house finance committee, the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and the state budget officer.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, the state board of education shall provide for a required course of instruction for the applicant’s parent, guardian, or designee where applicable, on the content of the driver education curriculum and the requirements for the graduated licensing for persons under the age of eighteen (18) as contained in § 31-10-6. The course of instruction shall be made available in a classroom setting at numerous locations, days, and times throughout the state, approved by the community college of Rhode Island. All costs and expenses LC003680 - Page 4 of 6 associated with the course of instruction, including, but not limited to, materials, instructors, and location fees shall be at the sole expense of the program providers. Once approved by the state board of education, an online course of instruction shall be made available to parent(s), guardian(s), or designee(s), where applicable, to meet the requirements of this section. Under no circumstances shall any parent, guardian, or designee, where applicable, be required to pay any cost or fee in association with participation in the course required by this section. Upon completion of the course pursuant to this section, no parent, guardian, or designee shall be required to take the course more than one time in a five-year (5) period. Parents, guardians, and designees with multiple children having completed this course shall be deemed to have satisfied this requirement for each child in their care applying for his or her license during the five-year (5) period. Should AAA or any other provider cease to provide the course and no other provider exists, the community college of Rhode Island shall not be required to provide the course of instruction nor shall it be required to pay any of the costs associated therewith. Parents, guardians, and designees shall not be required to complete the course prior to their child obtaining a license during any time at which a qualified program under this section does not exist. The community college of Rhode Island shall be responsible to develop the course of instruction and content for the parent instruction, or may approve a similar course of instruction, such as AAA’s course, as equivalent to it, and shall promulgate regulations and establish the appropriate method of providing the instruction. Should a qualified program cease to exist for a period of time greater than six (6) months, the course of instruction will not be required.
(i) Dangers of distracted driving, including, but not limited to, use of cell phones would be included in this section curriculum and included in all testing as part of the state’s driver’s license examination.
(j) Included in the classroom instruction shall be curriculum related to the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving such as the course provided by AAA or similar equivalent.
(k) The curriculum required by subsection (j) of this section shall become effective upon the effective date of this subsection [June 19, 2023] and shall only be implemented upon the approval of the course by the state board of education.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.