Rep. Imani Barnes Commends Auditor’s Report Aligning with Safe Teens Act

ATLANTA - Today, State Representative Imani Barnes (D-Tucker) expressed her support for the findings in a recently released report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts (DOAA), which aligns with the provisions of her proposed legislation, House Bill 914, also known as the Safe Teens Act. The DOAA report highlights the need for greater access to driver education, noting that current funding serves only a limited number of teen drivers, with mixed results on safety outcomes.

"I am encouraged by the auditor's report, which echoes the core principles behind HB 914," said Rep. Barnes. "I worked hard on this legislation last session, and seeing this report validates the need for this legislation and reinforces its importance. HB 914 addresses the essential need for thorough driver education for teens in Georgia, with the goal of boosting their safety and road readiness. I'm hopeful this bill will move forward and reach the governor's desk during the 2025 legislative session, as it is essential that we take action to protect our teens and promote safe driving practices."

During the 2024 legislative session, Rep. Barnes introduced HB 914, which would authorize local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to offer driver education as an elective course worth one-half of an elective credit for students. This would be executed using funding from one or more of the following: local funds, student fees or state funding. Under the legislation, the driver education training courses would need to be approved by the Department of Driver Services (DDS) and executed under the instruction of a driver training instructor licensed by DDS.

To read the full report from the DOAA, please click here.

*Editor's note: the substitute to HB 914 and a fiscal note to HB 914 are attached.

Representative Imani Barnes represents the citizens of District 86, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Higher Education, Small Business Development and Technology and Infrastructure committees.

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