House Study Bill 58 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act relating to requirements for and restrictions on special 1 minor’s driver’s licenses, and making penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1628YC (1) 90 th/ns

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.194, subsection 2, paragraph a, 1 subparagraph (3), Code 2023, is amended by striking the 2 subparagraph and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 3 (3) If the licensee is employed, the licensee may operate a 4 motor vehicle during the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. over 5 the most direct and accessible route between the licensee’s 6 residence or school of enrollment and the licensee’s place 7 of employment, provided the driving distance between the 8 licensee’s place of employment and the nearest point on the 9 route on which the licensee is authorized to travel under 10 subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (a), or subparagraph 11 (2), subparagraph division (a), is no more than fifty miles. 12 Sec. 2. Section 321.194, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 13 2023, is amended to read as follows: 14 b. Upon receipt of a statement of necessity, the department 15 shall issue the driver’s license provided the applicant is 16 otherwise eligible for issuance of the license. The fact that 17 the applicant resides at a distance less than one mile from the 18 applicant’s school of enrollment is prima facie evidence of 19 the nonexistence of necessity for the issuance of a license. 20 However, the distance between the applicant’s residence and 21 school of enrollment shall not be considered if the applicant 22 resides on a farm or is employed for compensation on a farm. 23 EXPLANATION 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 26 Under current law, a person holding a special minor’s 27 driver’s license is allowed to operate a motor vehicle 28 during the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. between the 29 licensee’s residence, schools of enrollment, bus stops, and 30 sites, facilities, or schools designated by the licensee’s 31 district or school of enrollment for the accommodation of the 32 school’s extracurricular activities, with certain limitations. 33 Additionally, if the licensee resides on a farm or is employed 34 for compensation on a farm in this state, the licensee is 35 -1- LSB 1628YC (1) 90 th/ns 1/ 2

H.F. _____ authorized to operate a motor vehicle for the purpose of 1 assisting the licensee’s parents, guardians, or employers with 2 farm work or in connection with any farm job, employment, or 3 other farm-related work, including traveling to or from the 4 location of the farm work, provided the licensee operates the 5 vehicle over the most direct and accessible route between the 6 point of origin and the destination and the driving distance 7 between the point of origin and the destination is no more than 8 50 miles. A licensee may also operate a motor vehicle to a 9 service station along the associated routes. 10 This bill strikes the farm work authorization and instead 11 authorizes a licensee who is employed to operate a motor 12 vehicle during the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. over 13 the most direct and accessible route between the licensee’s 14 residence or school of enrollment and the licensee’s place 15 of employment, provided the driving distance between the 16 licensee’s place of employment and the nearest point on the 17 route on which the licensee is otherwise authorized to travel 18 is no more than 50 miles. 19 Under current law, an application for a special minor’s 20 driver’s license must be accompanied by a statement from 21 the applicant’s school of enrollment certifying that a need 22 exists for the license. The fact that an applicant resides 23 at a distance less than one mile from the applicant’s school 24 of enrollment is prima facie evidence of the nonexistence of 25 necessity for the issuance of the license. The bill strikes 26 the presumption of the nonexistence of necessity for an 27 applicant who lives less than one mile from the applicant’s 28 school of enrollment. 29 A violation of Code section 321.194 is punishable by a 30 scheduled fine of $70. 31 -2- LSB 1628YC (1) 90 th/ns 2/ 2