DES MOINES, Iowa – Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 546, a bill that gives all parents, with certain exceptions, the ability to teach their children driver’s education. Before, the Iowa Code stated that only parents who homeschool under Iowa’s Competent Private Instruction law could utilize parent-taught drivers’ education.
The law, which will take effect on July 1, allows parents to teach their children by spending 30 hours of street and highway driving with them and following a curriculum on a list approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Iowa law prohibits someone who had their license suspended from providing parent-taught driver’s education for two years after their suspension is lifted.
The original bill, which the Iowa Senate passed 28 to 17 by party line on March 9, just expanded parent-taught driver’s education to all parents utilizing private instruction, including parents who homeschooled under Iowa’s independent private instruction law. The Iowa Department of Transportation already allowed those parents to use parent-taught driver’s education, and the bill was meant to align the Iowa Code with the administrative rules.
The Iowa House, on April 12, amended the bill to expand the bill to include any parent by a 59 to 34 vote. The Iowa Senate passed the bill again by a 33 to 15 vote on April 28.
