Committee introduces cleanup bill for annual driver’s-education program

Representative Ron Mendy (District 3) introduced RS32069, a cleanup bill for the state’s annual driver’s-education program, and the committee voted to introduce the bill by voice vote. Representative Mendy told the committee that the program began July 1 of last year and that 155 students have completed it, 808 are in progress, and 12 did not finish.

The bill clarifies the responsibilities of the Department of Transportation around the program and adds language (page 2, line 47) to expand which providers may offer the required online course. Mendy said the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) has been the online provider but that some homeschool families prefer not to go through IDLA’s public-school route; the State Department of Education has agreed to produce a list of other approved online options for homeschoolers.

Representative Harris asked why the bill focuses on rural areas; Mendy said the rural carve-out was part of a prior compromise after the bill was vetoed previously and indicated they may revisit that issue in a future session. Representative Van Dyke moved to introduce RS32069; no further discussion was recorded and the motion passed on a voice vote.

The bill was presented as primarily cleanup language, with the stated intent to resolve questions raised by the Department of Transportation about program responsibilities and to provide homeschool families alternative approved options for the online requirement.