Bill Proposes Online Drivers Ed Option

Jacqueline Roland has been working on a bill (HB1440) that would allow online driver education in New Hampshire. Although the New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition takes no position on legislation, we know that this alternative is of interest to many New Hampshire homeschoolers, so we are posting the information below.

Ms. Roland reports: In November, Rep. Laura Jones (prime sponsor of the Driver Ed Bill) and her son Rep. Kyle Jones (co-sponsor of the bill) met with the New Hampshire Department of Safety and Division of Motor Vehicles. The DOS requested that Rep. Jones amend the bill to make the online option a three year pilot program. This is an excellent suggestion since it is easier for legislators to support a pilot program instead of a permanent change. The amendment will be offered at the public hearing. If the amended bill passes, the DMV will track the results of the online driver ed students and the results of driving school students. If online students perform well, legislation will be introduced, in 2016, to make the online option permanent.

The DOS also wants the bill to include, in the amendment, a requirement that a parent/guardian of a teen, who chooses the online option, complete an online mini-module on how to provide behind-the-wheel training. This mini-module should be included in the price of the teen's online driver ed program (online programs cost an average of $70).

Driver ed instructors are already contacting legislators regarding their opposition to the bill. One driver ed instructor emailed every single representative in the NH House individually with a negative email about the bill! Now is the time to contact legislators in support of the Driver Ed Bill if we are to get it passed! Please email or call representatives on the House Transportation Committee, and your own local representatives; then ask your friends and family to make phone calls too! Tell the Reps. you call how the Driver Ed Bill would help your family, and ask them to support the bill. This bill has a good chance of passing, but it will be killed without the support of NH voters!

The Driver Ed Bill has been assigned a public hearing date. We really need people to show up at the hearing in support of the bill! The public hearing provides a great field trip opportunity, as it will definitely be a very educational experience. The hearing is Tuesday, January 31st, at 2:15 pm in the Legislative Office Building, Room 203, 107 North Main Street Concord NH (behind the State House). Bring the whole family, and if there's room in your car, bring some friends too! I look forward to seeing you there!

To find the contact info for House Transportation Committee Reps go to http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?c....

For additional information about the bill, please check out its website: http://driveredbill.com/.

Find the bill on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DriverEdBill

I appreciate the help and support that so many of you have expressed to me, and I look forward to working together with you to get the Driver Ed Bill passed this year!

Many thanks!

Jacqueline Roland
(603) 847-9070
more info from Jacqueline 1/27/12
To be honest, this bill has a very good chance of passing, but not unless a LOT of NH families show up at this hearing. Driver Ed Instructors are planning on picketing the State House the day of the hearing, and their association (ADTSEA) is funding flights to NH for members who want to come and testify against the bill! We are up against huge opposition, and legislators are really feeling pressure from driving schools. Now is the time for NH families to come out and support this!

If you can contact, between now and Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee Reps asking them to support HB 1440, that would be so helpful. You can find the contact info for members of the House Transportation Committee at http://driveredbill.com/pages/get-involved. Please tell friends and family about this (including people in the public school community, because this affects all NH teens--not just homeschoolers) and invite them to the hearing.

To see the amendment to HB 1440 that Rep. Jones (prime sponsor of the bill) will introduce at the public hearing go to- http://driveredbill.com/pages/news.

As always, call me if you have any questions at all (603) 847-9070 or go to http://www.driveredbill.com.