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"A driver's license is a privilege. And when students start abusing
that privilege by skipping school, it becomes a problem. This bill
gives teenagers a strong incentive not to cut class," Blagojevich
said.
House Bill 1463, sponsored by Rep. Bob Flider,
D-Decatur, and Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville, is intended to
reduce dropout rates. The secretary of state may refuse to issue or
renew the graduated license or learner's permit of a minor who does
not maintain school attendance or who has been certified as a
"chronic and habitual truant." Quarterly, schools will provide the
secretary of state with the same lists of students who have
withdrawn, been expelled or are certified as truant that schools
submit to the regional superintendent.
A "chronic and habitual truant" is defined as a child subject to
compulsory school attendance who is absent "without valid cause" for
10 percent or more of the previous 180 school days. "Valid cause"
includes illness and a death in the family.
"I would like to thank Governor Blagojevich for signing this
legislation and taking this step to ensure that our young people
continue to get an education that will be the key to their success,"
Flider said.
Flider noted that the late Sen. Penny Severns originally proposed
his initiative.
"Driving is a privilege that should be earned and respected. This
privilege is one that we as adults expect to correlate with other
responsible behaviors. We want to encourage more kids to stay in
school, and I hope this bill accomplishes that," Flider continued.
"We are hoping to send the message to students before they even
reach high school that dropping out or truancy will not be rewarded
with a license. Students need to know that there are consequences
for their actions and that this privilege will not be extended for
those who choose to leave school before graduation."
"Driving, as our parents taught us, is a considerable
responsibility," said Watson. "This law will ensure that students
place special emphasis on academics by attending classes, thus
allowing students to earn the privilege to get behind the wheel."
"We all agree how important it is to keep students in school, and
this provides another means to help us do just that," said Illinois
Superintendent of Education Randy Dunn.
The new law does allow exemptions for those whose failure to
attend is due to economic reasons, medical necessity or family
hardships. Minors who are married, are legally emancipated, who have
already graduated, or who have received or are working on their GED
are also exempt.
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 Applicants who can provide proof to the secretary of state that
they have resumed regular school attendance or home instruction, or
can show that their application was falsely denied, are eligible to
receive graduated licenses. Other states, and some school districts
in Illinois, have implemented similar programs and have seen a
reduction in their dropout rates.
House Bill 1463 is effective July 1, 2007.
On Thursday, the governor signed
House Bill 4768, which increases
the amount of time teenage drivers must spend in behind-the-wheel
instruction before they can receive their driver's license. The new
behind-the-wheel requirement is 50 hours, including 10 hours at
night.
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of teenage fatalities, and
teenage drivers have a fatality rate that is nearly two times higher
than older drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death
for 15- to 20-year-olds nationwide. The Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety reports that, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16
to 19 are four times more likely to crash than older drivers.
The governor has made improving traffic safety issues a priority
for his administration and has actively supported legislation to
reduce fatalities on our state's highways. Previous traffic safety
measures signed by the governor include these:
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A law that bans teen
drivers from carrying more than one passenger for the first six
months after receiving his or her license.
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A law that bans cell
phone use by drivers under 18.
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Requiring drivers
under 18 to make sure that their teen passengers are buckled
properly in the front and back seats.
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The primary seat belt
enforcement law, which allows officers to stop and ticket
drivers for not wearing a seat belt.
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A law that raised the
age at which children must be in booster seats from 4 to 8.
Officials at the Illinois Department of Transportation credit
these measures with helping reduce the number of fatalities from
1,454 in 2003 to 1,355 in 2004 and 2005. In addition, an annual
survey found that seat belt usage increased by 10 percent from 2003
to 2005, from 76 percent to 86 percent.
[News release from the governor's
office]
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