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State
Sen. Larry Bomke,
R-Springfield, is a co-sponsor of the legislation, which would allow
the secretary of state to cancel or refuse to issue a driver's
license or learner's permit to any student under 18 who has dropped
out of high school or continually "plays hooky." "No one can argue
that secondary education is crucial to a child's future,
particularly in today's society," Bomke said. "This measure seeks to
eliminate the incentive to skip school by threatening to take away
the one thing most high school students can't live without: their
driving privileges."
Under the provisions of
House Bill 1463, minors who are absent from school for 10
percent or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days without
valid cause or who have been removed from the district enrollment
roster for any reason other than death, illness, graduation or
transferal to another school will have their driving privileges
removed and their application for a license or permit denied.
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 The secretary of state may reinstate or issue a student's
driver's license or permit once the minor provides proof that he or
she has resumed regular school attendance or home instruction or can
confirm that the rejection of his or her driver's license or
instruction permit application was in error.
Bomke noted that the bill would not apply to students over the
age of 18 or students legally emancipated by marriage. Additionally,
minors who are no longer enrolled in school but who have enrolled in
a GED course or who have obtained a GED certificate will not be in
jeopardy of losing their license and may be issued instruction
permits.
In Illinois, more than 45,000 students were chronically truant in
Illinois last year, and 85,000 students under 18 dropped out.
If approved by the Senate, House Bill 1463 will head to the
governor's desk for final consideration.
[News release from
Illinois
Senate Republicans]
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