Bill > S2415

This bill establishes a Junior Operator's License Fund designed to provide financial assistance to young drivers from disadvantaged backgrounds who are seeking to obtain a junior operator's license. The fund will be administered by the registrar of motor vehicles and can receive money from appropriations, public and private sources, and interest earnings. Eligible students must be from households that qualify for specific assistance programs like free/reduced lunch, MassHealth, SNAP, TANF, or RAFT. The fund will provide grants to help reduce or eliminate the cost of required driver education and training courses. Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for driver education course providers, including mandatory written notice about course requirements and potential refund conditions if a student's learner's permit expires before course completion. The bill also mandates that the registrar collect and report data about driver education course enrollments and learner's permit expirations. Course providers who fail to comply with the new notice and refund requirements may be subject to fines up to $1,000, and the attorney general's office will oversee enforcement. The bill also reduces the time a learner's permit is valid from 6 months to 90 days, which may impact how quickly students must complete their driver education.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2415