A 494: Adds courses at a licensed New York state driving school approved by the commissioner of motor vehicles to the list of driver education providers.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 494 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI, STECK, LEVENBERG, SHIMSKY, LAVINE, WEPRIN, SAYEGH, SANTABARBARA, ZINERMAN, DAVILA, HYNDMAN, REYES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to driver education The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 507 of the vehicle and traffic 2 law, as separately amended by chapters 229 and 230 of the laws of 2020, 3 is amended to read as follows: 4 1. Driver education. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this 5 article, a class D or class M license, whichever is appropriate, may be 6 issued to a minor seventeen years of age who has successfully completed 7 a driver education course approved by the state education department and 8 the commissioner in a high school or college or approved by the commis- 9 sioner for a course at a licensed New York state driving school and who 10 has submitted proof of completion of the minimum hours of supervised 11 driving as required in paragraph (d) of subdivision two of section five 12 hundred two of this article; provided however, the Yeshiva of Staten 13 Island, which operates as a high school, may provide driver education 14 courses at the Arthur Kill Road Jewish Community Center of Staten Island 15 and the Manor Road Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, located in 16 the county of Richmond; provided however, the Hebrew Academy of Nassau 17 County, a unified school that operates a high school, may provide a 18 driver education course approved by the state education department in a 19 middle school or elementary school location provided such course 20 instruction occurs when elementary or middle school is not in session. 21 No such driver education course may be approved unless classroom train- 22 ing is provided by a person approved by the state education department EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01106-01-5 
 A. 494 2 1 and the commissioner. However, a school district may contract with one 2 or more licensed drivers' schools to provide behind the wheel training, 3 pursuant to regulations promulgated by the commissioner. The commission- 4 er shall prescribe the requirements for licensing of such minors. A 5 student enrolled in such an approved driver education course may operate 6 a motor vehicle without holding a driver's license or a learner's permit 7 while under the immediate supervision of an instructor in such course or 8 a driver's school instructor providing behind the wheel training in such 9 a course, provided such operation is in accordance with the rules estab- 10 lished by the commissioner. Every student who successfully completes 11 such course in a day, evening or summer school program offered by a 12 public or private school shall receive certification of such completion 13 on a certificate prescribed by the commissioner. 14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.