Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 246 - Motor Vehicles
Section 14-36e. (Formerly Sec. 10-24). - Course in motor vehicle operation and highway safety.

(a) As used in this section, “classroom instruction” includes training or instruction offered in person in a congregate setting, through distance learning or through a combination of both in-person and distance learning, provided such distance learning has interactive components such as mandatory interactions, participation or testing.

(b) Each local and regional board of education may provide a course of instruction in motor vehicle operation and highway safety on a secondary school level, which course (1) shall consist of not less than thirty clock hours of classroom instruction offered during or after school hours as said board of education, in its discretion, may provide, including instruction of not less than fifteen minutes concerning the responsibilities of an operator of a motor vehicle under subsection (b) of section 14-223 and the penalty for a violation of the provisions of said subsection (b), and (2) may include behind-the-wheel instruction of up to twenty clock hours. Such course shall be open to enrollment by any person between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, inclusive, who is a resident of the town or school district or whose parent, parents or legal guardian owns property taxable in such town or school district. Any such board of education may contract for such behind-the-wheel instruction with a licensed drivers' school.
(1949 Rev., S. 1363; 1959, P.A. 672, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 361, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 765, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 456, S. 2; P.A. 75-479, S. 21, 25; P.A. 78-355, S. 1; P.A. 83-104, S. 1, 2; P.A. 92-262, S. 4, 42; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 44, 121; P.A. 99-171, S. 2, 5; P.A. 05-218, S. 40; P.A. 06-130, S. 3; P.A. 17-79, S. 4; P.A. 21-106, S. 11.)
History: 1959 act provided conditions for eligibility to take motor vehicle operation course; 1965 act divided section into subsections, included highway safety in course subject matter and added details of course re classroom and on-the-road instruction; 1967 act replaced “may” with “shall” in Subsec. (b) thus requiring the course to be offered and requiring at least six hours of behind-the-wheel training; 1971 act allowed provision of behind-the-wheel instruction through contract with licensed drivers' school; P.A. 75-479 changed “shall” to “may” in Subsec. (b), thus making program optional again and required students to be residents of town or school district or to have parent or guardian owning property in the town or school district where they take the course rather than in any town or school district in state; P.A. 78-355 made no changes; P.A. 83-104 made offering of behind-the-wheel instruction optional, at discretion of local education agency, rather than mandatory; P.A. 92-262 transferred authority for program from state board of education to department of motor vehicles; Sec. 10-24 transferred to Sec. 14-36e in 1993; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “six clock hours” with “eight clock hours”, effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 99-171 amended Subsec. (b) by dividing it into subdivisions and requiring instruction re operator responsibilities and penalties under Sec. 14-223(b), effective January 1, 2000; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by changing “eight” to “twenty” re clock hours of instruction, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by changing required clock hours of instruction from “not less than twenty” to “up to twenty”, effective June 2, 2006; P.A. 17-79 deleted former Subsec. (a) re course of study to be prepared by department and deleted Subsec. (b) designator, effective June 27, 2017; P.A. 21-106 added Subsec. (a) re definition of “classroom instruction”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and made a technical change, effective June 30, 2021.

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