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2003 General Session
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HB 80 proposed a graduated system of driving licenses for prospective new drivers under the age of 18.
Under current law, a person may apply for an instruction permit for driving when they are 15 years old. With an instruction permit, the young person may drive when accompanied by another licensed driver who is at least 18 years old and who has had a license for at least one year.
When a person is 16 years old, they may apply for a regular drivers license.
HB 80 added an intermediate license to the process. Under the proposed graduated system, a person would be able to apply for the instruction permit at age 15, but could only drive with another licensed driver who was at least 21 years old and who had their license for at least three years.
A young driver could apply for an intermediate permit when they reached 16 years of age, if they had held the instruction permit and had completed at least 50 hours of driving practice (at least 10 at night). A parent or guardian would certify that the required driving practice had been completed.
The holder of an intermediate permit would not be allowed to transport more that one passenger under the age of 21 (except for immediate family members), and would only be allowed to drive on public highways between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. This time restriction would be lifted if the intermediate driver was accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old, if required by medical necessity or emergency, or if driving to or from work, school, school activities or religious activities.
After holding the intermediate permit for one year, and barring suspensions or revocations or other legal driving problems, the young driver could apply for a regular drivers license.
The cost of the new intermediate permit was set at $15.
A person who is 18 years old or older would not need to go through the instruction and intermediate license process.
Supporters of HB 80 maintained that young, learning drivers need supervision and time to learn to drive well, and that our current method of one year with an instruction permit is not adequate. They felt it was appropriate to limit an inexperienced driver in the number of other youngsters they could transport, as a car full of young friends can be dangerously distracting to an inexperienced driver. They cited statistics showing the connection between teenage traffic accidents and the number of companion teenagers in the vehicle. They characterized the other limits on young drivers as prudent and reasonable.
Opponents felt that HB 80 went too far and placed too many restrictions on young drivers. They asserted that parents know best how to teach their children to drive, and that the state should stay out of it.
The House amended the bill to specify that successful completion of a driver's education program at school could replace the requirement for 50 hours of driving practice, to qualify for an intermediate permit. The House lowered the required time to hold an instruction permit to six months, or to three months if the intermediate permit applicant had completed a driver's education program, before the young driver could apply for a regular driver's license. And the House amendment stipulated that a driver with an intermediate permit could transport more that one passenger under 21 if they were accompanied by a licensed driver over 21 at the same time.
HB 80 passed the House 37-22 (one excused).
The Senate adopted several amendments that reduced restrictions on novice drivers. For example, the age of a licensed driver accompanying a learning driver was reduced from 21 to 20 years of age, and the number of hours of practice driving and night driving required to qualify for the restricted driving permit were reduced.
After adopting these weakening amendments, the Senate went on to narrowly defeat HB 80, 14-16.
The votes listed below are Third Reading (final passage) votes in the House and Senate.
A YES vote means the legislator supported a graduated series of learner permits with significant restrictions on driving before a young driver could obtain a regular driver's license.
A NO vote means the legislator did not favor a graduated system of driving licenses with driving restrictions for the novice driver.
| Bighorn Basin Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 18 | Hank Coe (R) | No | |
| H 24 | Colin Simpson (R) | Yes | |
| H 50 | Pat Childers (R) | No | |
| S 19 | Laness D. Northrup (R) | No | |
| H 25 | Alan Jones (R) | No | |
| H 26 | Elaine Harvey (R) | No | |
| S 20 | Gerald E. Geis (R) | No | |
| H 27 | Jane Wostenberg (R) | No | |
| H 28 | Micheal Baker (R) | No | |
| Casper-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 27 | John Barrasso (R) | Yes | |
| H 35 | Roy Cohee (R) | Yes | |
| H 36 | Liz Gentile (D) | Yes | |
| S 28 | Keith Goodenough (D) | Yes | |
| H 56 | Tom Walsh (R) | No | |
| H 57 | Thomas A. Lockhart (R) | No | |
| S 29 | Bill Hawks (R) | No | |
| H 37 | Steve Harshman (R) | Yes | |
| H 59 | Mary Gilmore (D) | Yes | |
| S 30 | Charles K. Scott (R) | Yes | |
| H 38 | Bob Brechtel (R) | No | |
| H 58 | Ann Robinson (D) | Yes | |
| Cheyenne-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 4 | April Brimmer Kunz (R) | No | |
| H 7 | Tony Ross (R) | Yes | |
| H 41 | Becket Hinckley (R) | Yes | |
| S 5 | John Hanes (R) | No | |
| H 8 | Larry Meuli (R) | Yes | |
| H 42 | Pete Illoway (R) | Yes | |
| S 6 | Rich Cathcart (D) | No | |
| H 9 | Wayne Johnson (R) | Yes | |
| H 10 | Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R) | No | |
| S 7 | Kathryn Sessions (D) | Yes | |
| H 11 | Wayne Reese (D) | Yes | |
| H 43 | Ed Prosser (R) | Yes | |
| S 8 | E. Jayne Mockler (D) | No | |
| H 12 | Layton Morgan (D) | Yes | |
| H 44 | Floyd Esquibel (D) | Yes | |
| Gillette-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 23 | John Hines (R) | Yes | |
| H 31 | Jene Jansen (R) | Yes | |
| H 52 | George McMurtrey (R) | Yes | |
| S 24 | Richard A. Erb (R) | Yes | |
| H 32 | Jeff Wasserburger (R) | Yes | |
| H 53 | Frank Latta (R) | No | |
| Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 25 | Cale Case (R) | No | |
| H 33 | Harry Tipton (R) | Yes | |
| H 54 | Del McOmie (R) | Yes | |
| S 26 | Robert A. Peck (R) | Yes | |
| H 34 | Frank Philp (R) | Excused | |
| H 55 | David Miller (R) | No | |
| Northeast/East Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 1 | Bill Barton (R) | No | |
| H 1 | Mark Semlek (R) | No | |
| H 2 | Ross Diercks (D) | No | |
| S 2 | Jim Anderson (R) | Yes | |
| H 5 | James C. Hageman (R) | No | |
| H 6 | Dave Edwards (R) | Yes | |
| S 3 | Curt Meier (R) | No | |
| H 3 | Deborah Alden (R) | Yes | |
| H 4 | Edward A. Buchanan (R) | No | |
| Sheridan-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 21 | Bruce Burns (R) | Yes | |
| H 29 | Jerry Iekel (R) | Yes | |
| H 51 | Rosie Berger (R) | Yes | |
| S 22 | John Schiffer (R) | No | |
| H 30 | Jack Landon (R) | No | |
| H 40 | Doug Osborn (R) | Yes | |
| South Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 9 | Mike Massie (D) | Yes | |
| H 13 | Jane Warren (D) | Yes | |
| H 45 | Lorna Johnson (D) | Yes | |
| S 10 | Irene Devin (R) | No | |
| H 14 | Phil Nicholas (R) | No | |
| H 46 | James Slater (R) | Yes | |
| S 11 | Bill Vasey (D) | No | |
| H 15 | George Bagby (D) | Yes | |
| H 47 | Kurt Bucholz (R) | No | |
| Southwest WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 12 | Rae Lynn Job (D) | No | |
| H 48 | Marty Martin (D) | No | |
| H 16 | Pete Jorgensen (D) | Yes | |
| S 13 | Tex Boggs (D) | Yes | |
| H 17 | Fred Parady (R) | Yes | |
| H 60 | Bill Thompson (D) | Yes | |
| S 14 | Larry Caller (D) | Yes | |
| H 18 | Mick Powers (R) | No | |
| H 39 | Chris Boswell (D) | Yes | |
| S 15 | Ken Decaria (D) | Yes | |
| H 19 | Owen Petersen (R) | Yes | |
| H 49 | Saundra Meyer (D) | Yes | |
| West Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/6/03 | Senate 3rd 2/28/03 |
|
| S 16 | Delaine Roberts (R) | Yes | |
| H 20 | Stan Cooper (R) | Yes | |
| H 21 | Randall Luthi (R) | No | |
| S 17 | Grant Larson (R) | No | |
| H 22 | Monte Olsen (R) | No | |
| H 23 | Clarene Law (R) | Yes | |
See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12 | |||