Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-3792
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Introduced: 2015-10-21
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Adoption and foster care

Child safety and welfare

Education of the disadvantaged

Education programs funding

Elementary and secondary education

Homelessness and emergency shelter

Juvenile crime and gang violence

Licensing and registrations

Roads and highways

Transportation programs funding

Transportation safety and security

Unemployment

Youth employment and child labor
Latest action: action_date: 2015-10-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-10-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015</strong></p> <p>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.</p> <p>A recipient may use grant funds to:</p> <ul> <li>conduct a comprehensive assessment of the driver's licensing status of young adults in the neighborhoods to be served; </li> <li> 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;</li> <li> study the impact of state and local driver's license suspensions and revocation policies on young adults in the areas to be served; </li> <li> identify potential sources of funding for high school driver's education programs; </li> <li> develop innovative and cost-effective strategies for preparing young adults for legal driving; and</li> <li> evaluate the effectiveness of the funded grant activities in achieving the program goals.</li> </ul> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3792 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 21, 2015 Ms. Moore introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To assist young adults with obtaining or regaining driver’s licenses, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015 . 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. 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 .