S 3570 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Changes certain driver testing and education requirements for persons with disabilities.

This bill changes New Jersey's driver licensing requirements to better accommodate people with disabilities. It allows individuals with disabilities to complete behind-the-wheel driving education with a parent or guardian who holds a valid New Jersey driver's license, rather than requiring them to attend a school or licensed driving program. The bill also removes the requirement for dual-pedal vehicles during training, permits people with disabilities to obtain an examination permit before age 17, and allows them to take road tests with a parent or guardian in the vehicle. These changes apply to anyone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities, including those diagnosed with anxiety disorders or autism spectrum disorders. The bill aims to make the driver's license process more accessible while maintaining safety standards.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2024
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Sep 12, 2024 Last action Jan 30, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint STR 1/30/25 1R · 7 edits
MODERATE
The Senate Transportation Committee's first reprint of S3570 makes substantial changes primarily removing or narrowing disability-related accommodations in New Jersey's driver's licensing framework. The expanded definition of 'person with a disability' that specifically included anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorder is struck from multiple sections, the entire special learner's permit provision for disabled persons (C.39:3-13.2a) is deleted, and the probationary license amendment (C.39:3-13.4) is removed. Additionally, parents and guardians of disabled persons are downgraded from authorized supervisors to merely being 'allowed to be present' in the vehicle during driving education.
Scope change
The bill's scope is significantly narrowed by removing all disability-specific accommodations. The introduced version provided expanded protections for persons with anxiety disorders and autism spectrum disorders throughout the licensing process, including special learner's permits, parental supervision rights, and modified probationary license requirements. The first reprint strips out these provisions, leaving the general licensing framework largely intact but without the targeted disability accommodations.
ELIGIBILITY

The specific language including 'persons diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and persons diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder' in the definition of 'person with a disability' is struck from four separate sections (C.39:3-10, C.39:3-13, C.39:3-13.1, and C.39:3-13.2), narrowing who qualifies for disability accommodations under the bill.

In C.39:3-13.1, the provision stating that 'a person with a disability shall be permitted to complete the required course of behind-the-wheel automobile driving education with a parent or guardian who holds a valid New Jersey driver's license' is struck.

SCOPE

Entire Section 5 of the bill, which amended C.39:3-13.2a to create special learner's permit provisions for persons with disabilities (including decal requirements, suspension rules, and remedial training), is deleted in its entirety.

Entire Section 6 of the bill, which amended C.39:3-13.4 regarding probationary licenses, is deleted, removing all proposed changes to probationary license requirements.

REQUIREMENT

In C.39:3-13.2, a parent or guardian of a person with a disability is removed from the list of authorized supervisors under whose control the student may drive. Instead, a new sentence provides that such a parent or guardian 'shall be allowed to be present in the motor vehicle' during an approved behind-the-wheel course - reducing their role from active supervisor to passive passenger.

TECHNICAL

The term 'Individual Tax Identification Number' is corrected to 'Individual Taxpayer Identification Number' in two sections (C.39:3-10 section w and C.39:3-13.1 section b), aligning with the proper federal terminology for ITINs.

In C.39:3-10 section p, the phrase 'in its discretion' is removed from 'The commission in its discretion may refuse to grant a permit or license,' though the word 'may' still conveys discretionary authority.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Jan 30, 2025
Committee
Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading
upper
Sep 12, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Carmen Amato
Carmen Amato
RRepublican
NJ
9