HB518 (2005) Detail

Relative to eligibility for youth operators' licenses.


HB 518-FN – AS INTRODUCED

2005 SESSION

05-0115

03/09

HOUSE BILL 518-FN

AN ACT relative to eligibility for youth operators’ licenses.

SPONSORS: Rep. Packard, Rock 3; Rep. Kurk, Hills 7

COMMITTEE: Transportation

ANALYSIS

This bill:

I. Requires that applicants for youth operators’ licenses furnish proof of current school attendance, current receipt of home education, or receipt of a high school diploma or its equivalent or a letter evidencing termination of education for good cause.

II. Requires the principal or superintendent to report to the department of safety when a youth operator terminates his or her education.

III. Requires the department of safety to furnish annual reports on certain youth operator statistics.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05-0115

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

AN ACT relative to eligibility for youth operators’ licenses.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Youth Operators’ License; Eligibility. Amend RSA 263:14, II(a) to read as follows:

(a) The director shall issue a youth operator’s license to applicants who are 16 years of age or older and under 21 years of age. The youth operator license shall expire on the 21st anniversary of the applicant’s date of birth. In addition to any other requirements established by law, no such license shall be issued to applicants under 18 years of age unless the applicant meets the requirements of RSA 263:17 or furnishes written consent from the applicant’s parent or legal guardian and a certificate of successful completion of a driver education course as provided in RSA 263:19. No such license shall be issued to any applicant unless the applicant furnishes proof of current school attendance, current receipt of home education, or receipt of a high school diploma or its equivalent, or a letter from the principal of the applicant’s school or the superintendent of the applicant’s district of residence stating that the applicant has terminated his or her education for good cause and explaining the reason for termination. Any person licensed under this section who terminates his or her school attendance or home education shall surrender the license upon such termination. The principal of the applicant’s school or the resident district superintendent shall report any such termination to the department within 5 days of receiving notice of the termination. The department shall report annually to the house and senate committees having jurisdiction over transportation and education on the number of licenses issued to persons under 18 years of age, the number of licenses surrendered because the person has terminated his or her education, and the number of licenses issued because the applicant furnished a letter evidencing termination of education for good cause during the previous fiscal year.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO

05-0115

1/21/05

HB 518-FN - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to eligibility for youth operators’ licenses.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Department of Education indicates local expenditures will increase by $17,325 in FY 2005 and each year thereafter. The Department of Safety indicates state and local expenditures may increase by an indeterminable amount in FY 2005 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue or county expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

    The Department of Education states there is no fiscal impact on their department. Calculation of local fiscal impact assumes current state dropout rate of 14.4% and high school enrollment remain steady and assumes the cost of $10 per hour for local officials to complete reporting requirements. The projected fiscal impact annually for local school districts is $17,325, see calculation below. This is an aggregate estimate.

    Number of high school students in 2002-03 72,190

    Current annual state dropout rate x 14.4%

    Student potentially terminating education annually 10,395

    Number of minutes per call to Department of Safety x 10

    Total minutes for calls to Department of Safety 103,950

    Minutes divided by 60 minutes / 60

    Hours of time local officials will need for reporting 1,732.5

    Cost per hour for local officials to complete reporting requirement x 10

    Annual projected local costs $ 17,325

    The Department of Safety has determined there will be some added clerical expenses to the Department and to local school supervisory units for reporting and recordkeeping. The Department of Safety states it is not possible to estimate the amount.