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Senate bill · S3249 (2025-26)

Relates to driver education

PassedLatest action Jun 2, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A494, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

Jeremy Cooney

State Senator, District 56 · Democratic/Working Families

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Summary

Adds courses at a licensed New York state driving school approved by the commissioner of motor vehicles to the list of driver education providers.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 21, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 1 of the bill amends the vehicle and traffic law to authorize driving schools to offer a driver education course approved by the Commissioner.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed the legislature and is awaiting a signature.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Transportation · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Transportation · New York State Senate, Ways and Means · New York State Assembly.

Cosponsors

Alicia Hyndman, Angelo Santabarbara and 18 more on Agora

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)
  • Democratic20

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

Show the full list (20 names)

The sponsor's argument

Why Jeremy Cooney says this is needed

Currently, New York State driver's education courses are provided by local high schools. The courses taught at High Schools must provide each student at least twenty-four (24) clock hours of classroom instruction and twenty-four (24) clock hours of in-car instruction. Students must complete at least six (6) clock hours of actual behind-the-wheel driving and eighteen (18) clock hours of observation in a teacher-supervised vehicle. For the classroom in-car instruction, High schools contract with commercial driving schools to provide the in-car driving instruc- tion. By allowing licensed driving schools to provide this service directly to the public, independent from the school district system, high school students that attend a high school that does not offer a driver educa- tion program or one they can't attend do to scheduling conflicts or any other reasons will be afforded access to these driver safety programs. New York State is seeing fewer high schools offer drivers education leaving many high school students without access to this vital driver safety program.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateMar 10, 2026Result: passed

    (61) (0) (0) (2)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Transportation

    Senate TransportationFeb 24, 2026Result: passed

    (12) (0) (0) (1)

Full history

  1. Jun 2, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  2. Jun 2, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Assembly

  3. Jun 2, 2026

    Rules Report CAL.331

    RULES REPORT CAL.331

    NY Assembly

  4. Jun 2, 2026

    Substituted

    SUBSTITUTED BY S3249

    NY Assembly

  5. Mar 10, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

Show full history (10 earlier events)
  1. Mar 10, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  2. Mar 10, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  3. Feb 26, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  4. Feb 25, 2026

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  5. Feb 24, 2026

    1ST Report CAL.360

    1ST REPORT CAL.360

    NY Senate

  6. Jan 21, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  7. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

    NY Senate

  8. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

    NY Assembly

  9. Jan 24, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

    NY Senate

  10. Jan 8, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

    NY Assembly