old drivers decreased by 25 percent in Michigan and 
by 27 percent in North Carolina. 
(11) According to the Office of the Illinois Sec-
retary of State, teen driving deaths dropped by over 
40 percent in Illinois in the first full year following 
the 2007 implementation of a stronger graduated 
driver licensing law. 
(12) The National Transportation Safety Board 
reports that over 40 States and the District of Co-
lumbia have implemented some type of 3-stage grad-
uated driver licensing system. However, most States 
have not yet enacted all of the lifesaving safety fea-
tures of graduated driver licensing laws rec-
ommended by the National Transportation Safety 
Board and supported by research to protect the lives 
of teenage and novice drivers. 
(13) A 2010 national survey by the Insurance 
Institute of Highway Safety indicates that— 
(A) parents of teens favor graduated driver 
licensing laws that are as strict or stricter than 
those that currently exist in any State; 
(B) 2⁄3 of parents of teens believe that 
young drivers should begin learning to drive at 
16 years of age or older; 
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(C) more than 1⁄2 of parents of teens be-
lieve that the minimum licensing age should be 
17 years of age or older; 
(D) 90 percent of parents of teens support 
a restriction on unsupervised nighttime driving; 
(E) more than 75 percent of parents of 
teens believe that the restriction on unsuper-
vised nighttime driving should begin at 10 p.m. 
or earlier; 
(F) 89 percent of parents of teens support 
restrictions on teen passengers; and 
(G) more than 75 percent of parents of 
teens believe that teen drivers should not be 
permitted to more than 1 teen passenger in 
their vehicle. 
SEC. 3. STATE GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING LAWS. 
(a) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A State is in compliance 
with this section if the State has a graduated driver 
licensing law that requires novice drivers younger 
than 21 years of age to comply with the 2-stage li-
censing process described in paragraph (2) before 
receiving an unrestricted driver’s license. 
(2) LICENSING PROCESS.—A State is in compli-
ance with the 2-stage licensing process described in 
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this paragraph if the State’s driver’s license laws in-
clude— 
(A) a learner’s permit stage that— 
(i) commences at 16 years of age or 
older; 
(ii) is at least 6 months in duration; 
(iii) prohibits the driver from using a 
cellular telephone or any communications 
device in a nonemergency situation; and 
(iv) remains in effect until— 
(I) the commencement of the in-
termediate stage; or 
(II) the driver reaches 18 years 
of age; 
(B) an intermediate stage that— 
(i) commences immediately after the 
expiration of the learner’s permit stage; 
(ii) is at least 6 months in duration; 
(iii) prohibits the driver from using a 
cellular telephone or any communications 
device in a nonemergency situation; 
(iv) prohibits driving at night; 
(v) prohibits the driver from operating 
a motor vehicle with more than 1 non-fa-
milial passenger younger than 21 years of 
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age unless a licensed driver who is at least 
21 years of age is in the motor vehicle; and 
(vi) remains in effect until the driver 
reaches 18 years of age; and 
(C) any other requirement that the Sec-
retary of Transportation may require, includ-
ing— 
(i) in the learner’s permit stage— 
(I) at least 40 hours of behind- 
the-wheel training with a licensed 
driver who is at least 21 years of age; 
(II) a driver training course; and 
(III) a requirement that any such 
driver be accompanied and supervised 
by a licensed driver who is at least 21 
years of age at all times while such 
driver is operating a motor vehicle; 
and 
(ii) in the learner’s permit or inter-
mediate stage, a requirement that, in addi-
tion to any other penalties imposed by 
State law, the grant of an unrestricted 
driver’s license be automatically delayed 
for any individual who, during the learn-
er’s permit or intermediate stage, is con-
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victed of a driving-related offense, such 
as— 
(I) driving while intoxicated; 
(II) misrepresentation of his or 
her true age; 
(III) reckless driving; 
(IV) driving without wearing a 
seat belt; 
(V) speeding; or 
(VI) any other driving-related of-
fense, as determined by the Secretary. 
(b) RULEMAKING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall promulgate regulations necessary to im-
plement this section in accordance with the notice 
and comment provisions under section 553 of title 5, 
United States. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—A State that otherwise meets 
the minimum requirements set forth in subsection 
(a) shall be deemed by the Secretary to be in compli-
ance with this section regardless of whether a State 
law, which was enacted by the State before January 
1, 2011, establishes a class of license that permits 
licensees younger than 18 years of age to drive a 
motor vehicle in connection with work performed on 
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or for the operation of a farm owned by family mem-
bers who are directly related to the licensees. 
SEC. 4. INCENTIVE GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For each of the first 3 fiscal years 
beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Transportation shall award a grant to any State 
that submits an application under subsection (b) if that 
State is in compliance with section 3(a) on or before the 
first day of that fiscal year. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any State desiring a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary of Transportation at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require, including a certification by the 
Governor of the State that the State is in compli-
ance with section 3(a). 
(2) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall review each 
State application and determine whether or not the 
State is in compliance with section 3(a). 
(c) GRANTS.—Amounts appropriated to carry out 
this section for each fiscal year shall be apportioned to 
each State that is in compliance with section 3(a) in an 
amount determined by multiplying— 
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(1) the amount appropriated to carry out this 
section for such fiscal year; by 
(2) the ratio that the amount of funds appor-
tioned to each such State for such fiscal year under 
section 402 of title 23, United States Code, bears to 
the total amount of funds apportioned to all such 
States for such fiscal year under such section. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts received by a State 
from a grant awarded under this section may be used 
for— 
(1) enforcing a 2-stage licensing process that 
complies with section 3(a)(2); 
(2) training for law enforcement personnel and 
other relevant State agency personnel relating to the 
enforcement described in paragraph (1); 
(3) publishing relevant educational materials 
that pertain directly or indirectly to the State grad-
uated driver licensing law; and 
(4) carrying out other administrative activities 
that the Secretary considers relevant to the State’s 
2-stage licensing process. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000, out of the 
Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Ac-
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(3) SIXTH AND SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS.— 
On the first day of each fiscal year after the fifth 
fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall withhold 10 percent 
of the amount otherwise required to be apportioned 
to any State for such fiscal year under each of the 
paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) of section 104(b) of 
title 23, United States Code, if that State is not in 
compliance with section 3(a) on the first day of such 
fiscal year. 
(b) PERIOD
OF
AVAILABILITY
OF
WITHHELD 
FUNDS.— 
(1) FUNDS WITHHELD BEFORE THE END OF 
THE
SIXTH
FISCAL
YEAR.—Any amount withheld 
from any State under subsection (a) on or before the 
last day of the sixth fiscal year beginning after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, shall remain avail-
able for distribution to the State under subsection 
(c) until the end of the third fiscal year following the 
fiscal year for which such amount is appropriated. 
(2) FUNDS WITHHELD AFTER THE SIXTH FIS-
CAL YEAR.—Any amount withheld under subsection 
(a)(2) from any State after the end of the sixth fis-
cal year beginning after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, may not be distributed to the State. 
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(c) APPORTIONMENT OF WITHHELD FUNDS AFTER 
COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If, before the last day of the 
period for which funds withheld under subsection (a) 
remain available to a State under subsection (b), the 
State comes into compliance with section 3(a), the 
Secretary of Transportation shall, on the first day 
on which the Secretary determines the State has 
come into compliance, distribute to the State any 
amounts withheld under subsection (a) that remains 
available for apportionment to the State. 
(2) PERIOD
OF
AVAILABILITY
OF
SUBSE-
QUENTLY APPORTIONED FUNDS.—Any amount dis-
tributed under paragraph (1) shall remain available 
for expenditure by the State until the end of the 
third fiscal year following the year for which the 
funds are so apportioned. Any amount not expended 
by the State by the end of such period shall lapse. 
(3) EFFECT OF NONCOMPLIANCE.—If a State is 
not in compliance with section 3(a) at the end of the 
period for which any amount withheld under sub-
section (a) remains available for distribution to the 
State under subsection (b), such amount shall lapse. 
Æ 
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