PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by inserting after section 15 the following:
‘Sec. 16. Task force. The Secretary of State, referred to in this section as "the secretary," shall convene a task force to review the laws governing teen driving and to make recommendations designed to enhance teen driver safety in the State.
1. Members. The secretary shall, at a minimum, invite the participation of teen drivers, parents of teen drivers, health care practitioners, members of the law enforcement community and representatives of the Maine Medical Association. The secretary shall make every effort to ensure that the membership reflects the geographic diversity of the State.
2. Chair; convening of initial meeting. The secretary shall designate a person to serve as chair of the task force and shall convene the initial meeting no later than 30 days following the effective date of this Act.
3. Duties. The task force shall review the existing laws governing teen driving and make recommendations designed to enhance teen driver safety in the State. In developing its proposal, the task force shall:
A. Propose changes to update and enhance the current driver education program, including proposing changes to make driver education more accessible to teens throughout the State, especially in rural areas; improving the method by which the curriculum is delivered; and considering whether to require more practical driving experience as part of the driver education program; and
B. Review the proposals endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics concerning a graduated driver’s licensing system for teen drivers, including the proposal to expand nighttime driving restrictions and improving and enforcing laws designed to prohibit the purchase, possession and consumption of alcohol by minors.
 
In developing its recommendations, the task force shall review graduated driver’s licensing systems that have been successfully adopted by other states, including but not limited to Massachusetts.
4. Meetings. The chair, in consultation with the secretary, shall schedule meetings of the task force as necessary to complete the task force's assigned duties. The secretary shall notify members of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation and other Legislators with a known interest in the issues associated with teen driving safety of all meetings of the task force.
5. Staffing and funding. The secretary shall provide staff support to the task force from existing resources and may use contributions of money, services and supplies accepted under existing authority to support the work of the task force.
6. Final report. No later than December 5, 2012, the secretary shall submit a report that includes the findings and recommendations of the task force, including suggested legislation to implement the recommendations, for presentation to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters.
7. Authority to submit legislation. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters may submit a bill pertaining to the report under subsection 6 to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment directs the Secretary of State to convene a task force to review the laws governing teen driving and to make recommendations designed to enhance teen driver safety in the State. The Secretary of State is directed to report the findings and recommendations of the task force, including suggested implementing legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters, which is authorized to report out a bill pertaining to the report to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)