Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015

Young Adults Driving Safety Act of 2015

This bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to award competitive grants of up to $100,000 to non-profit organizations, tribal governments, or educational institutions to develop model programs to assist young adults with obtaining or regaining driver's licenses.

A recipient may use grant funds to:

• conduct a comprehensive assessment of the driver's licensing status of young adults in the neighborhoods to be served;
• develop and implement strategies to address licensing deficits and barriers faced by young adults and disconnected youth (low-income young adults who are homeless, are in foster care, have come into contact with the juvenile justice or criminal justice system, are not employed and not enrolled in school, or are at risk of dropping out of an educational institution) in obtaining a driver's license;
• study the impact of state and local driver's license suspensions and revocation policies on young adults in the areas to be served;
• identify potential sources of funding for high school driver's education programs;
• develop innovative and cost-effective strategies for preparing young adults for legal driving; and
• evaluate the effectiveness of the funded grant activities in achieving the program goals.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall give priority to entities proposing programs to assist low-income young adults with obtaining or regaining driver's licenses.

Statewide efforts to improve traffic safety for teen drivers, for which states may use DOT-approved highway safety program funds, shall include peer-to-peer education and prevention strategies in schools and communities designed to support teen driving education and driving skills improvement.