SB 1567 creates the “Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program” and adds a new section to Missouri’s education code governing driver education in public schools. The bill directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to review sample lessons from statewide professional organizations and districts, then make those lessons available to public school districts and charter schools that serve grades 9 through 12. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, districts and charter schools may adopt a plan using those sample lessons to implement the program.
The program is designed to teach students about Missouri’s graduated driver licensing system, safe vehicle operation, distracted driving, traffic safety data, and how to interact appropriately with law enforcement during traffic stops. The bill also allows districts to require students to participate in lessons tied to the program within existing courses, so long as the lessons meet course standards and use safe driving as the context. Importantly, the bill says the instruction does not require students to physically operate a motor vehicle, and it does not prevent schools from offering separate elective driver education courses.
Impact
SB 1567 would add section 170.027 to chapter 170, RSMo, creating a statewide framework for driver safety instruction in secondary schools. It would give DESE a role in collecting and distributing sample curriculum materials, authorize local districts and charter schools to adopt implementation plans, and potentially influence how driver education content is delivered in grades 9-12 beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill does not mandate behind-the-wheel training and preserves local flexibility to offer additional elective driver education courses outside the new program.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the overall sentiment appears neutral to favorable toward expanding standardized driver safety education. The proposal is framed as a safety and instructional measure rather than a controversial mandate, and it emphasizes curriculum support, local adoption, and flexibility for districts. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history is available in the provided materials.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the bill’s inclusion of instruction on law enforcement traffic stops, which could raise concerns about how that material is taught and whether it is age-appropriate or politically sensitive. Another possible issue is the extent of state involvement in local curriculum decisions, since DESE would review and distribute sample lessons and districts may adopt plans based on them. At the same time, the bill reduces one common concern by explicitly stating that students are not required to physically operate a motor vehicle and by preserving the option for separate elective driver education courses.