Lawmakers introduce cleanup to online driver's education statute; adds homeschool options

Representative Ron Mendive introduced RS 32069 on behalf of District 3, telling the committee the bill is a "cleanup" to the state's new online driver's education program that began July 1 of last year.

The bill clarifies which state agencies are responsible for program elements and adds a provision to allow the State Department of Education to publish an approved list of alternative providers for homeschool students who prefer not to access the course through the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA). "It's always been the IDLA that could do the online course," Mendive said, and the change responds to homeschool families who "would rather not" go through public-school channels.

Mendive provided early participation numbers for the program: "To date there have been 155 students who have done it, 808 are in the process of doing it and there have been 12 that did not complete." He described the bill as primarily technical cleanup aside from the added homeschool option.

Representative Harris asked why the bill focuses on rural areas; Mendive said the rural carve-out was a compromise from prior legislation that had been vetoed and "we'll address that possibly next year." Representative Van Dyke and others praised the measure and urged further changes in later sessions for access concerns in higher-demand districts.

The committee voted to introduce RS 32069. Representative Van Dyke moved to introduce the measure; the motion carried after an oral voice vote.