[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2027 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2027

  To amend titles 23 and 49, United States Code, to improve national 
highway traffic safety through improved motor vehicle driver education 
            and licensing programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2004

  Mr. DeWine introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend titles 23 and 49, United States Code, to improve national 
highway traffic safety through improved motor vehicle driver education 
            and licensing programs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Driver Education and Licensing 
Improvement Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR SUPPORT OF ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING COUNTERMEASURES.

    (a) Revised Eligibility Requirements.--Subparagraph (D) of section 
410(b)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is amended to read as 
follows:
                    ``(D) Graduated licensing system.--A multiple-stage 
                graduated licensing system for young drivers that, at a 
                minimum, authorizes the issuance of an initial license 
                or learner's permit to a driver no earlier than the 
                driver's 16th birthday, makes it unlawful for a person 
                under age 21 to operate a motor vehicle with a blood 
                alcohol concentration of .02 percent or greater, 
                provides for a learning stage of at least six months 
                and an intermediate stage of at least 6 months, and 
                applies the following restrictions and features to such 
                stages and to such other stage or stages as may be 
                provided under State law:
                            ``(i) A restriction that no more than 2 
                        passengers may occupy a vehicle while it is 
                        being operated by a young driver.
                            ``(ii) Nighttime driving restrictions 
                        applicable, at a minimum, during the hours 
                        between 10:00 o'clock post meridiem and 5:00 
                        o'clock ante meridiem.
                            ``(iii) Special penalties (including delays 
                        in progression through the stages of the 
                        graduated licensing system) for violations of 
                        restrictions under the system and violations of 
                        other State laws relating to operation of motor 
                        vehicles.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL OFFICE OF DRIVER TRAINING.

    Section 105 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f)(1) There is a National Office of Driver Training in the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
    ``(2) The head of the National Office of Driver Training is the 
Director.
    ``(3) The functions of the National Office of Driver Training are 
as follows:
            ``(A) To provide States with services for coordinating the 
        motor vehicle driver training and licensing programs of the 
        States.
            ``(B) To develop and make available to the States a 
        recommended motor vehicle driver education and licensing 
        curriculum that incorporates the best practices in driver 
        education and licensing, and to carry out such research 
        (pursuant to cooperative agreements or otherwise) and undertake 
        such other activities as the Director determines appropriate to 
        develop and, on an ongoing basis, improve the recommended 
        curriculum.
            ``(C) To provide States with technical assistance for the 
        implementation of the motor vehicle driver education and 
        licensing curriculum recommended under subparagraph (B).
            ``(D) To develop and recommend to the States methods for 
        harmonizing the presentation of motor vehicle driver education 
        and licensing with the requirements of multistage graduated 
        licensing systems, including systems described in section 
        410(b)(1)(D) of title 23.
            ``(E) To provide States with financial assistance under 
        section 30201 of this title for--
                    ``(i) the implementation of the motor vehicle 
                driver education and licensing curriculum recommended 
                under subparagraph (B);
                    ``(ii) the establishment or improved administration 
                of multistage graduated licensing systems; and
                    ``(iii) the support of other improvements in motor 
                vehicle driver education and licensing programs.
            ``(F) To perform such other functions relating to motor 
        vehicle driver education or licensing as the Secretary may 
        require.''.

SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR IMPROVEMENT OF DRIVER EDUCATION AND 
              LICENSING.

    (a) Authority.--Part A of subtitle VI of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 301 the following new 
chapter:

                  ``CHAPTER 302--OTHER DRIVER PROGRAMS

``Sec.
``30201. Driver education and licensing: grant assistance.
``Sec. 30201. Driver education and licensing: grant assistance
    ``(a) Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
        to provide States, by grant, with financial assistance to 
        support the improvement of motor vehicle driver education 
        programs and the establishment and improved administration of 
        graduated licensing systems, including systems described in 
        section 410(b)(1)(D) of title 23.
            ``(2) Administrative office.--The Secretary shall 
        administer the program under this section through the Director 
        of the National Office of Driver Training.
    ``(b) Eligibility Requirements.--
            ``(1) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe in 
        regulations the eligibility requirements, application and 
        approval procedures and standards, and authorized uses of grant 
        proceeds for the grant program under this section. The 
        regulations shall, at a minimum, authorize use of grant 
        proceeds for the following activities:
                    ``(A) Quality assurance testing.
                    ``(B) Improvement of motor vehicle driver education 
                curricula.
                    ``(C) Training of instructors for motor vehicle 
                driver education programs.
                    ``(D) Monitoring and evaluation of the motor 
                vehicle driver performance of graduates of motor 
                vehicle driver education programs.
                    ``(E) Testing and evaluation of motor vehicle 
                driver performance.
                    ``(F) Public education and outreach regarding motor 
                vehicle driver education and licensing.
                    ``(G) Improvements with respect to State graduated 
                licensing programs, as well as related enforcement 
                activities.
            ``(2) Consultation requirement.--In prescribing the 
        regulations, the Secretary shall consult with the following:
                    ``(A) The Administrator of the National Highway 
                Traffic Safety Administration.
                    ``(B) The heads of such other departments and 
                agencies of the United States as the Secretary 
                considers appropriate on the basis of relevant 
                interests or expertise.
                    ``(C) Appropriate officials of the governments of 
                States and political subdivisions of States.
                    ``(D) Representatives of private sector 
                organizations recognized for relevant expertise.
    ``(c) Maximum Amount of Grant.--The maximum amount of a grant of 
financial assistance for a program, project, or activity under this 
section may not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such program, 
project, or activity.''.
    (b) Time for Promulgation of Regulations.--The Secretary of 
Transportation shall promulgate the regulations under section 30201(b) 
of title 49, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), not later 
than October 1, 2004.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Funds are authorized to be 
appropriated for carrying out section 30201(b) of title 49, United 
States Code (as added by subsection (a)), for fiscal years and in 
amounts as follows:
            (1) For fiscal year 2005, $20,000,000.
            (2) For fiscal year 2006, $22,000,000.
            (3) For fiscal year 2007, $24,000,000.
            (4) For fiscal year 2008, $26,000,000.
            (5) For fiscal year 2009, $28,000,000.
            (6) For fiscal year 2010, $30,000,000.

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS OF ORGAN DONATION THROUGH 
              DRIVER LICENSING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 302 of title 49, United States 
        Code (as added by section 4), is amended by adding at the end 
        the following new section:

``SEC. 30202. ORGAN DONATION THROUGH DRIVER LICENSING: GRANT 
              ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
        to provide eligible recipients, by grant, with financial 
        assistance to carry out campaigns to increase public awareness 
        of, and training on, authority and procedures under State law 
        to provide for the donation of organs through a declaration 
        recorded on a motor vehicle driver license.
            ``(2) Administrative office.--The Secretary shall 
        administer the program under this section through the Director 
        of the National Office of Driver Training.
    ``(b) Eligibility Requirements.--
            ``(1) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe in 
        regulations the eligibility requirements, application and 
        approval procedures and standards, and authorized uses of grant 
        proceeds for the grant program under this section.
            ``(2) Consultation requirement.--In prescribing the 
        regulations, the Secretary shall consult with the following:
                    ``(A) The Administrator of the National Highway 
                Traffic Safety Administration.
                    ``(B) The heads of such other departments and 
                agencies of the United States as the Secretary 
                considers appropriate on the basis of relevant 
                interests or expertise.
                    ``(C) Appropriate officials of the governments of 
                States and political subdivisions of States.
                    ``(D) Representatives of private sector 
                organizations recognized for relevant expertise.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new item:

``30202. Organ donation through driver licensing: grant assistance.''.
    (b) Time for Promulgation of Regulations.--The Secretary of 
Transportation shall promulgate the regulations under section 30202(b) 
of title 49, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), not later 
than October 1, 2004.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Funds are authorized to be 
appropriated for carrying out section 30201(b) of title 49, United 
States Code (as added by subsection (a)), for fiscal years and in 
amounts as follows:
            (1) For fiscal year 2005, $4,000,000.
            (2) For fiscal year 2006, $4,000,000.
            (3) For fiscal year 2007, $4,000,000.
            (4) For fiscal year 2008, $4,000,000.
            (5) For fiscal year 2009, $4,000,000.
            (6) For fiscal year 2010, $4,000,000.

SEC. 6. STUDY OF NATIONAL DRIVER EDUCATION STANDARDS.

    (a) Requirement for Study.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
carry out a study to determine whether the establishment and imposition 
of nationwide minimum standards of motor vehicle driver education would 
improve national highway traffic safety.
    (b) Time for Completion of Study.--The Secretary shall complete the 
study not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
    (c) Report.--The Secretary shall publish a report on the results of 
the study under this section not later than 2 years after the study is 
completed.
                                 <all>