Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015

Summary: Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015 This bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to award competitive grants of up to $100,000 to non-profit organizations, tribal governments, or educational institutions to develop model programs to assist young adults with obtaining or regaining driver's licenses. A recipient may use grant funds to:  conduct a comprehensive assessment of the driver's licensing status of young adults in the neighborhoods to be served;   develop and implement strategies to address licensing deficits and barriers faced by young adults and disconnected youth (low-income young adults who are homeless, are in foster care, have come into contact with the juvenile justice or criminal justice system, are not employed and not enrolled in school, or are at risk of dropping out of an educational institution) in obtaining a driver's license;  study the impact of state and local driver's license suspensions and revocation policies on young adults in the areas to be served;   identify potential sources of funding for high school driver's education programs;   develop innovative and cost-effective strategies for preparing young adults for legal driving; and  evaluate the effectiveness of the funded grant activities in achieving the program goals.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall give priority to entities proposing programs to assist low-income young adults with obtaining or regaining driver's licenses. Statewide efforts to improve traffic safety for teen drivers, for which states may use DOT-approved highway safety program funds, shall include peer-to-peer education and prevention strategies in schools and communities designed to support teen driving education and driving skills improvement.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO ASSIST YOUNG ADULTS WITH OBTAINING DRIVER'S LICENSES.

    (a) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
        Administration, may award grants on a competitive basis to 
        eligible entities to develop model programs to assist young 
        adults with obtaining or regaining driver's licenses.
            (2) Maximum grant award.--A grant awarded under this 
        section may not exceed $100,000.
    (b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section may use the grant funds to--
            (1) conduct a comprehensive assessment of the driver's 
        licensing status of young adults in the neighborhoods in which 
        the majority of the youth to be served by the program reside or 
        attend school;
            (2) develop and implement strategies to address licensing 
        deficits and barriers young adults and disconnected youth face 
        in obtaining a driver's license;
            (3) study the impact of State and local driver's license 
        suspensions and revocation policies, including the 
        implementation of such policies by municipal courts, on young 
        adults in the areas where the youth who will be served by the 
        program reside or attend school;
            (4) identify potential sources of funding for high school 
        driver's education programs for each high school in a school 
        district;
            (5) develop innovative and cost-effective strategies for 
        preparing young adults for legal driving;
            (6) evaluate the effectiveness of the funded grant 
        activities in achieving the program goals; and
            (7) conduct any other activities considered appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
    (c) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, an 
eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. Such application shall describe the following:
            (1) How the eligible entity proposes to use the grant funds 
        to create a program to assist young adults with obtaining or 
        regaining driver's licenses.
            (2) How the eligible entity intends to collaborate with 
        education institutions and organizations with job training 
        programs.
            (3) How the proposed program is expected to create 
        opportunities for the employment and job training of young 
        adults who participate in the proposed program.
            (4) How the eligible entity intends to target youth in 
        areas experiencing high levels of unemployment among young 
        adults.
            (5) How the proposed program is expected to assist low-
        income young adults and disconnected youth with school and 
        employment.
            (6) The eligible entity's history of working with young 
        adults.
            (7) The eligible entity's history of assisting individuals 
        in regaining a driver's license, especially in cases in which 
        the driver's license was suspended or revoked for non-safety 
        related reasons.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities proposing programs 
to assist low-income young adults with obtaining or regaining driver's 
licenses.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Disconnected youth.--The term ``disconnected youth'' 
        means low-income young adults who--
                    (A) are homeless;
                    (B) are in foster care;
                    (C) have come into contact, or are at risk of 
                coming into contact, with the juvenile justice or 
                criminal justice system;
                    (D) are not employed and not enrolled in school; or
                    (E) are at risk of dropping out of an education 
                institution.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        non-profit organization, tribal government, education 
        institution, or any other organization considered appropriate 
        by the Secretary.
            (3) Education institution.--The term ``education 
        institution'' means an institution of higher education or a 
        high-need local education agency.
            (4) High-need local education agency.--The term ``high-need 
        local education agency'' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 2102(3)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6602).
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (6) Low-income.--The term ``low-income'', with respect to a 
        young adult, means a household income at or below 185 percent 
        of the poverty line.
            (7) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means any organization that is described in 
        section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
        exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (8) Poverty line.--The term ``poverty line'' means the 
        poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget 
        and revised annually in accordance with section 673 of the 
        Community Services Block Grant Act (Public Law 97-35; 42 U.S.C. 
        9902)) applicable to a family of the size involved.
            (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
            (10) Young adult.--The term ``young adult'' means an 
        individual who is at least 16 years old and less than 25 years 
        old.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 each year for each of 
fiscal years 2015 through 2019.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO USE STATE HIGHWAY SAFETY FUNDS FOR TEEN DRIVING 
              EDUCATION.

    Section 402(m)(2)(A) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in clause (iv), by striking ``and''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(vi) support teen driving education and 
                        driving skills improvement; and''.