Connecticut SB 235: AN ACT CONCERNING DRIVER EDUCATION AND STUDENT SAFETY.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 235
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING DRIVER EDUCATION AND STUDENT
SAFETY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 14-78 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
(a) A drivers' school licensee shall permit a student to request that 3
such student's instructor be of a certain gender at the time of enrolling 4
in such licensee's behind-the-wheel instruction of a driver education 5
program and if such licensee cannot accommodate such request at the 6
time of any such instruction, such licensee shall allow the student to 7
reschedule such instruction without charging such student an 8
additional fee or penalty. 9
(b) Not later than January 1, 2027, if a driver's school licensee 10
maintains an Internet web site for its business, a drivers' school licensee 11
shall prominently post on such web site information indicating whether 12
or not such licensee has undertaken the following safety measures: (1) 13
The instructors employed by such licensee have successfully completed 14
proficiency testing as administered by the Department of Motor 15
Vehicles, (2) such instructors receive annual training or continuing 16
education, (3) such licensee utilizes an electronical monitoring system, 17
such as a global positioning system, to ensure the location of a student 18

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is ascertainable during the provision of any behind-the-wheel 19
instruction, (4) such licensee utilizes an audio or video monitoring 20
system, such as a dashboard camera, inside or outside the motor vehicle 21
to ensure the safety of a student during the provision of any such 22
instruction, and (5) the vehicles used by such licensee to provide such 23
instruction have passed the annual inspection by the Department of 24
Motor Vehicles. 25
(c) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the 26
provisions of chapter 54, regarding the conduct of drivers' schools and 27
instructor license requirements. Such regulations shall (1) establish the 28
conduct of drivers' schools, including, but not limited to, (A) 29
requirements as to the inspection of the vehicles used by the drivers' 30
schools in the conduct of their business, (B) instructional standards and 31
procedures, including instruction of not less than fifteen minutes 32
concerning the responsibilities of an operator of a motor vehicle under 33
subsection (b) of section 14-223 and the penalty for a violation of the 34
provisions of said subsection, instruction concerning highway work 35
zone safety and the responsibilities of an operator of a motor vehicle 36
under section 14-212d, [and] instruction concerning ways to reduce 37
incidents of operators driving in the wrong direction and actions to take 38
when an operator encounters a motor vehicle being operated in the 39
wrong direction and behind-the-wheel instruction and practice 40
concerning how to stop in a safe location off the traveled portion of the 41
highway and respond to a traffic stop by a law enforcement officer, (C) 42
the administration of a test at the conclusion of each class, (D) the 43
posting of rates charged for instruction, and (E) the general form in 44
which records concerning persons under instruction and those who 45
have completed their course of instruction shall be kept and, when 46
required, the method of transmission to the commissioner, (2) except as 47
required pursuant to section 14-36j, permit a class or classroom 48
instruction to be offered in person in a congregate setting, through 49
distance learning or through a combination of both in-person and 50
distance learning, provided such distance learning has interactive 51
components such as mandatory interactions, participation or testing, 52

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and (3) establish the requirements for a person to receive a license as an 53
instructor in accordance with section 14-73. 54
(d) On and after October 1, 2010, the commissioner shall not issue a 55
license that is limited to classroom instruction. Any person who was 56
issued such limited license prior to October 1, 2010, may maintain and 57
renew such license. 58
Sec. 2. Section 14-36f of the general statutes is repealed and the 59
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 60
The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall adopt regulations, in 61
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, governing the 62
establishment, conduct and scope of driver education programs in 63
secondary schools of this state, subject to the requirements of section 14-64
36e. Such regulations shall (1) permit any local or regional board of 65
education or private secondary school to contract with a licensed 66
drivers' school approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for the 67
behind-the-wheel instruction of such driver education