SB 234 — AN ACT CONCERNING PASSENGER RESTRICTIONS FOR YOUTH INSTRUCTION PERMIT HOLDERS.

Senate General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

234451 February Session, 2026 LCOSubstitute Senate Bill No.

1380234 ReferredSenate, toApril 7, 2026 The Committee on TRANSPORTATIONTransportation Introducedreported by:through SEN.

(TRA)COHEN ANof ACTthe PERMITTING12th SIXTEENDist., ANDChairperson SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLDof DRIVERSthe TOCommittee TRANSPORTon SIBLINGS.the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING PASSENGER RESTRICTIONS FOR YOUTH INSTRUCTION PERMIT HOLDERS.

SectionSubsection 14-36g(c) of section 14-36 of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):

(a)(c) Each(1) A person who holdsis sixteen or seventeen years of age and who has not had a motor vehicle operator's license issuedor onright andto afteroperate Augusta 1,motor 2008,vehicle andin whothis isstate sixteensuspended or seventeenrevoked yearsmay ofapply ageto shallthe complycommissioner withfor thea followingyouth requirements:instruction permit.

(1)The Exceptcommissioner may issue a youth instruction permit to an applicant after the applicant has (A) passed a test as providedto inknowledge subsectionof (b)the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of thisthe section,road, for(B) paid the periodfee required by subsection (v) of [sixsection months]14-49, one(C) yearpassed aftera vision screening conducted by the dateDepartment of issuanceMotor Vehicles or submitted to the commissioner the results of sucha license,vision suchexamination personconducted shallby nota transportlicensed [moremedical than]professional, anyasdefinedinsection14-46b,that passenger,certifiesthattheapplicant except:sSB234 / File No.

(A)451 [such]1 SuchsSB234 person'sFile parents or legal [guardian] guardians, at least one of whom holds a motor vehicle operator's license, [or] (B) such person's siblings, (C) [one passenger who is] a driving instructor licensed by the Department ofMotorVehicles, [or]and(D)a persontwenty yearsofage or older who has been licensed to operate, for at least four years preceding the time of being transported, a motor vehicle of the same class as the motor vehicle being operated and who has not had his or LCO No.

1380451 1meets the vision standards established in regulations adopted pursuant to section 14-45a, and (D) filed a certificate, in such form as the commissioner prescribes, requesting or consenting to the issuance of 4the Raisedyouth Billinstruction No.234permit herand the motor vehicle operator's licenselicense, suspendedsigned by (i) one or both parents or foster parents of the applicant, as the commissioner duringrequires, (ii) the legal guardian of the applicant, (iii) the applicant's spouse, if the spouse is eighteen years of age or older, or (iv) if the applicant has no qualified spouse and such four-yearapplicant's period;parent or foster parent or legal guardian is deceased, incapable, domiciled outside of this state or otherwise unavailable or unable to sign or file the certificate, the applicant's stepparent, grandparent, or uncle or aunt by blood or marriage, provided such person is eighteen years of age or older.

[(2)The Exceptcommissioner asmay, provided in subsection (b) of this section, for the periodmore beginningefficient sixadministration monthsof after the datecommissioner's ofduties, issuanceappoint ofany suchdrivers' licenseschool andlicensed endingin oneaccordance yearwith after the dateprovisions of issuancesection of14-69 suchor license, such person shall not transport any passengersecondary otherschool thanproviding asinstruction permittedin undermotor subdivisionvehicle (1)operation ofand thishighway subsectionsafety andin anyaccordance additionalwith membersection or14-36e membersto ofissue sucha person'syouth immediateinstruction family;]permit, [(3)]subject (2)to No such personstandards shalland operaterequirements (A)as anythe motorcommissioner vehiclemay forprescribe whichin aregulations publicpassengeradopted endorsement [,asdefinedinsection14-1,]isrequired in accordance with the provisions of sectionchapter 14-44,54. or (B) a vanpool vehicle;

[,Each asyouth definedinstruction inpermit sectionshall 14-1;]expire [(4)]two (3)years Nofrom suchthe persondate shallof transportissuance moreor passengerson inthe adate motorthe vehicleholder thanof the numberpermit ofis seatissued safetya beltsmotor permanentlyvehicle installedoperator's inlicense, suchwhichever motoris vehicle;earlier.

[(5)]Any (4)holder Noof such person issued a motorcycleyouth endorsementinstruction shallpermit transportwho anyattains passengereighteen onyears aof motorcycleage formay aretain periodsuch ofpermit sixuntil months after the dateexpiration of issuance;such permit.

[(6)](2) (5)The Exceptyouth asinstruction providedpermit inshall subsectionentitle (b)the ofholder, thiswhile section,such noholder suchhas personthe shallpermit in his or her immediate possession, to operate a motor vehicle on anythe highwaypublic [,highways, asprovided definedsuch inholder is under the instruction of, and accompanied by, a person who holds an instructor's license issued under the provisions of section 14-1,]14-73 or a person twenty years of age or older who has been licensed to operate, for at least four years preceding the instruction, a motor vehicle of the same class as the motor vehicle being operated and who has not had his or afterher 11:00motor p.m.vehicle operator's license suspended by the commissioner during the four-year period preceding the instruction.

until(3) Unless the holder of the permit is under the instruction of and includingaccompanied 5:00by a.m.a person who holds an sSB234 / File No.

of451 the2 followingsSB234 dayFile unlessNo. (A) such person is traveling for his or her employment or school or religious activities, or (B) there is a medical necessity for such travel;

and451 [(7)](6)Noinstructor's suchpersonshalltransportlicense anyissued under the provisions of section 14-73, no passenger onanautocyclein otheraddition thanto asthe permittedperson providing instruction shall be transported unless such passenger is either (A) a parent or legal guardian of the holder of the permit, or (B) a sibling of such holder of the permit and such sibling also holds a youth instruction permit issued under [subdivisionstheprovisionsofthissection.(4)The (1)holder ofayouthinstruction permit who (A) is an active member of a certified ambulance service, as defined in section 19a-175, (B) has commenced an emergency vehicle operator's course that conforms to the national standard curriculum developed by the United States Department of Transportation, and (2)](C) subdivisionhas (1)had state and national criminal history records checks conducted by the certified ambulance service or by the municipality in which such ambulance service is provided, shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection.subsection only when such holder is driving to or from the location of the ambulance for purposes of responding to an emergency call.

(b)(5) AThe personcommissioner whomay holdsrevoke aany motoryouth vehicleinstruction operator'spermit licenseused andin whoviolation is sixteen or seventeen years of agethe shalllimitations notimposed beby subjectsubdivision to(2) theor restrictions(3) LCOof No.this subsection.

1380This 2act ofshall 4take Raisedeffect Billas No.234follows onand theshall numberamend or type of passengers specified in subdivision (1) [or (2)] of subsection (a) of this section, or to the restrictionsfollowing specifiedsections: in subdivision [(6)] (5) of said subsection (a), if such person is:

AnSection active1 memberOctober of1, a2026 volunteer14-36(c) fireTRA companyJoint orFavorable department,Subst. a volunteer ambulance service or company or an emergency medical service organization and such person is responding to, or returning from, an emergency or is carrying out such person's duties as such active member;

orsSB234 an/ assignedFile driverNo. in a Safe Ride program sponsored by the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America or other national public service organization.

(c)451 The3 CommissionersSB234 ofFile MotorNo. Vehicles may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.

Such451 regulationsThe mayfollowing provideFiscal exceptionsImpact toStatement theand provisionsBill ofAnalysis subdivisionare (1)prepared of subsection (a) of this section for a single parent under the agebenefit of eighteen for the purposesmembers of transporting the childGeneral ofAssembly, suchsolely parentfor topurposes dayof care,information, childsummarization careand explanation and educationdo facilities,not medicalrepresent appointments,the andintent forof suchthe otherGeneral purposesAssembly asor mayeither bechamber determinedthereof byfor theany commissioner.purpose.

(d)In Anygeneral, personfiscal whoimpacts violatesare anybased provisionupon ofa subsectionvariety (a) of thisinformational sectionsources, shallincluding bethe deemedanalyst’s toprofessional haveknowledge. committed an infraction.

TheWhenever Commissionerapplicable, ofagency Motordata Vehiclesis shallconsulted suspendas thepart motor vehicle operator's license of any person who violates the provisionsanalysis, ofhowever subsectionfinal (a)products ofdo thisnot sectionnecessarily forreflect aan periodassessment offrom thirtyany daysspecific fordepartment. a first violation, and for a period of six months or until such person attains the age of eighteen years, whichever is longer, for a second violation.

[(e)OFA NotwithstandingFiscal theNote provisionsState ofImpact: this section, the provisions of this section in effect July 31, 2008, shall be applicable to any person who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and who has been issued a motor vehicle operator's license prior to August 1, 2008.] This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

LCOAgency No.Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ State Resources GF&TF - Minimal Minimal Potential Revenue Loss Note:

1380GF&TF=General 3Fund of& 4Transportation RaisedFund BillMunicipal No.Impact:

234None SectionExplanation 1The Octoberbill, 1,which 2026allows 14-36g16- Statementand of17-year-old Purpose:learner’s permit holders to have their sibling as a passenger during driving instruction in certain circumstances, results in a minimal potential revenue loss to the state from fewer fines.

To1 permitThe aOut personYears whoThe isannualized sixteenongoing orfiscal seventeenimpact yearsidentified ofabove agewould tocontinue transportinto suchthe person'sfuture siblingssubject afterto beingthe issuednumber aof motoroffenses vehicleand operator'sfines license.collected.

that1Between whenFY the22 entireand textFY of25, athere billwere or resolution or a sectiontotal of a845 billoffenses orrecorded resolutionand is$9,840 new,in itfines iscollected notunder underlined.]CGS LCO§ No.14-36(c).

1380sSB234 4/ ofFile 4No.

451 4 sSB234 File No.

451 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 234 AN ACT CONCERNING PASSENGER RESTRICTIONS FOR YOUTH INSTRUCTION PERMIT HOLDERS.

SUMMARY This bill allows 16- and 17-year-old learner’s permit holders to have their sibling as a passenger during driving instruction if the sibling also holds a learner’s permit.

By law, learner’s permit holders may drive only if they have a licensed driver (age 20 or older with at least four years of licensure) riding with and instructing them.

Under current law, the only passengers 16- and 17-year-old permit holders may have during this instruction are their parents or legal guardians, unless they are being instructed by a licensed driving instructor (for example, as a part of a driver’s education course).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2026 COMMITTEE ACTION Transportation Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 36 Nay 0 (03/16/2026) sSB234 / File No.

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