A bill jointly worked on by Tuscaloosa/Pickens County State Representative Ron Bolton and the Alabama Superintendents Association aims to lower the age requirement for mandatory school attendance to hold a driver’s license from 19 to 17. The current age is seen as detrimental to older teens attempting to enter the workforce.
Background
Alabama Code § 16‑28‑40 requires anyone under age 19 applying for a driver’s license or learner’s permit to provide proof of enrollment in school and making satisfactory progress, among other conditions. Representative Bolton believes the current age requirement is causing unnecessary issues for students who leave high school to work, potentially leading to fines due to license suspensions.
The proposed bill, which failed to pass in the previous legislative session, will be re-filed for the coming session. The original law was enacted in 1999 as part of the “driver’s license/school attendance” law created by Legislative Act 1999‑441.
Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.
