HB 248 Missouri House · 2025 Regular Session

Requires public schools to offer a driver education course that students must complete before graduating

HB 248 requires Missouri public schools to offer a mandatory driver education course as part of the health education credit for students in grades 9-12, effective for the 2026-27 school year. The course must cover graduated licensing requirements, safe driving practices, distracted driving risks, emergency situations, and proper interactions during traffic stops, but does not require students to operate a vehicle. It directly affects all high school students in Missouri public schools and charter schools, who must complete this course to meet graduation requirements. The bill specifies that schools may continue offering separate elective driver education courses but must implement this standardized program for graduation credit.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Dec 2, 2024 Last action Apr 30, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduced → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to rename the program from a generic driver education requirement to the 'Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program' and shifted responsibility from the state board of education to the state department of elementary and secondary education for developing sample lessons. The new version gives districts more flexibility to integrate safe driving instruction into existing courses rather than requiring a separate driver education course.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from mandating a specific driver education course to allowing districts to adopt a flexible integrated safe driving program that can be taught within existing courses.

DEFINITION

Added the formal name 'Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program' to replace the generic term 'driver education instruction and training'.

REQUIREMENT

Changed responsibility for developing sample lessons from the state board of education to the state department of elementary and secondary education.

Added requirement that districts provide pupils with current data on driver safety related to risky behaviors.

Added flexibility allowing districts to require safe driving lessons within existing courses rather than as a separate driver education course.

Removed the requirement that the state board of education must develop and recommend a specific driver education program.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 30, 2025

Committee

Referred: Rules - Administrative(H)

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

HCS Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 19 NOES: 2 PRESENT: 0

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

HCS Voted Do Pass (H)

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Committee

Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education(H)

lower

Dec 2, 2024

Introduced

Prefiled (H)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors