An Act To Reduce School Truancy
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0495
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MAKAS, CHURCHILL, CRA VEN, GERZOFSKY, GREELEY, O'BRIEN, WALCOTT, ROTUNDO
Amends: 29-A MRSA §1304

~~IRST REGULAR SESSION-2005 
Legislative Document 
No. 495 
H.P.370 
House of Representatives, February 1,2005 
An Act To Reduce School Truancy 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative MAKAS of Lewiston. 
Il/~ 
117· 7l?iI£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representati ves: BABBIDGE of Kennebunk, CHURCHILL of Washburn, 
CRA VEN of Lewiston, GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, GREELEY of Levant, O'BRIEN of 
Lewiston, WALCOTT of Lewiston, Senator: ROTUNDO of Androscoggin. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1304. sub-§l, ~A, as amended by PL 1997, c. 
737, §2, is further amended to read: 
A. 
A person who is 15 years of age or older may apply for 
an instruction permit, except that a person who is 15 yeaLs 
of age or older and has not attained 18 years of age must 
complete a course in driver education before applying for an 
instruction permit. 
~rson who has not attained 17 years 
of age must provide proof that the person has 
not been 
declared habitually truant, 
as 
provided 
in Title 
20-A, 
section 5051-A, for the current and preceding school year. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§l, ~H, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
286, §1, is further amended to read: 
H. 
A person under 21 years of age may not apply for 
a 
license unless: 
(1) 
A period of 6 months has passed from the date the 
person was 
issued an instruction permit and if the 
person has not attained 17 years of age, 
the person 
provides proof that the person has not been declared 
habij;ualU-truant, as provJded in Title 20-A, section 
505l-A, for the current school year; and 
(2) 
The person has completed a minimum of 35 hours of 
driving, 
including 
hours 
of 
night driving, 
while 
accompanied by a parent, guardian or licensed driver at 
least 
years 
of 
age. 
The 
parent, 
stepparent or 
guardian, or a spouse or employer pursuant to section 
1302, subsection L 
paragraphs Band C, 
must certify 
the person's driving time on a form prescribed by the 
Secretary of State. 
A person 21 years of age or older is not required to submit 
certification of driving time to the Secretary of State. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §1304. sub-§2, ~A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
A. 
A person must be at least 16 years of age to apply for a 
motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or moped instruction permit. 
A person who has not attained 17 years of age must provide 
proof that the 
person has 
not 
been declared 
habitua~ 
truant, 
asprovid~d in..--J'itle 20-A, section 505l-A, for 
th~ 
current and preceding school year. 
Page l-LR1128(1) 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides that a person under 17 years of age may 
not apply for an instruction permit to operate a motor vehicle or 
motorcycle and may not apply [or a license unless that person 
provides proof that the person has not been declared habitually 
R 
truant.