Bill would allow 14-year-olds to drive themselves to charter schools

One of the challenges many charter schools face is an inability to provide transportation to their students. A group of lawmakers has a novel solution to that problem: Allow the students to drive themselves.

Assemblywoman Alexis Hansen this week introduced Assembly Bill 213, a bill that would allow some charter school students to obtain restricted driver’s licenses in order to transport themselves — and possibly other students — to charter schools.

The concept of teenagers driving themselves to school before they qualify for the standard teen driver’s license at age 16 isn’t unheard of. In Nevada, students enrolled in public schools in counties where the population is less than 55,000 or in a city or town with a population of less than 25,000 can already be issued a restricted driver’s license that allows them to drive to and from their school. Certain restrictions apply, including a ban on driving over 55 miles per hour. Drivers can only transport themselves, their siblings and other students (if the parents of those students have consented).

AB213 would expand eligibility of these restricted driver’s licenses to students in counties and cities of all sizes, so long as they attend a charter school that does not provide transportation to students.

Hansen represents Assembly District 32, which covers 38,000 square miles of rural Nevada. Assembly members Chris Edwards, Gregory Hafen, Glen Leavitt and Robin Titus are co-sponsoring. All similarly represent rural parts of the state.

The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Sen. Keith Pickard, whose district spans across an urban part of Clark County.

All of the bill’s sponsors are Republican.

The full text of AB213 is available here.