In New Hampshire, Parents are not recognized, by themselves, as adequate driving instructors for children under age 18. State law requires new instruction through a certified drivers Ed course. As is the case in any such arrangement, the price for this instruction is not cheap, not even through the public school system. While I would personally do away with any state mandate altogether, and let the insurance market alone incentivize optional professional instruction, that may be too big a leap to take just yet. So HB 1440 takes a step in the right direction, and would offer parents cheaper alternatives to the current mandates.
HB 1440 adds certified on-line instruction courses, in conjunction with hands on help from a licensed adult, as another option for licensing new drivers under 18 years of age. There is a public hearing for this legislation on Tuesday, January 31st in room 203 of the Legislative Office Building (LOB), at 1:30 pm.
My suspicion is that the Driver Ed community will not want to sacrifice their monopoly or introduce competition that could affect their current price structure so supporters should make an effort to get to the hearing. While at the hearing someone should point out to members of the existing driver Ed monopoly that no one is stopping them from creating their own on-line course option, offered at competitive and discounted rates, as a way to expand their market share.