Task Force members criticized a recently passed state law discussed during the meeting that requires driver education but does not mandate behind‑the‑wheel driving experience. Several members and school officials said classroom or online instruction alone does not prepare young drivers for real‑world road conditions and urged the task force to ask legislators to amend the law.

Mr. Leary and other members said the 2025 driver education change omitted an in‑car driving component and recommended the task force pursue a glitch bill or other legislative fix to require actual driving experience for learner drivers. "There's gotta be an experience," Mr. Leary said, arguing that classroom work without behind‑the‑wheel training misses the main point of driver education.

School representatives, parents and task force members discussed barriers to offering in‑car instruction, including cost, availability of certified instructors and insurance requirements. The school official in the meeting said the state has not funded behind‑the‑wheel programs and that local districts would face costs for vehicles, instructors and insurance if a driving component were required.

The task force asked staff to include a legislative request on the consolidated priorities list and suggested coordinating with Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and with state legislators (for example, via a friend contact, Dave Kerner) on adding a driving component for 14‑ to 17‑year‑old learners. No formal endorsement of specific bill text was adopted at the meeting; members asked staff to pursue advocacy through the county’s legislative delegation outreach in September.

Public commenters emphasized that classroom courses are not a substitute for actual driving practice and asked the task force to prioritize legislative changes to require hands‑on training for young drivers.