The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Connecticut SB 235 Requires Commercial Driving Schools to Offer Gender Instructor Preferences, Safety Disclosures, and Traffic Stop Training
Last action · April 7, 2026: File Number 452
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What This Bill Proposed
Commercial driving schools must allow students to request an instructor of a certain gender for behind-the-wheel training, reschedule unaccommodated lessons without extra fees, and post specific safety measures on their websites by January 1, 2027. Additionally, both commercial driving schools and secondary school driver education programs must include instruction and practice on how to safely pull over and respond to a law enforcement traffic stop.
Students gain the right to request specific instructor genders and receive traffic stop safety training, while commercial driving schools face new website disclosure obligations and scheduling rules starting October 1, 2026.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
students
Students gain the right to request a specific instructor gender, receive training on responding to traffic stops, and reschedule unaccommodated lessons without penalty.
commercial driving school licensees
Commercial driving schools must accommodate or reschedule gender requests, publish specific safety disclosures on their websites by January 1, 2027, and update behind-the-wheel training curricula.
local or regional boards of education
Boards of education offering driver education programs must incorporate traffic stop instruction and practice into their behind-the-wheel training.
Key Facts
- Commercial driving schools must permit students to request a specific instructor gender at the time of enrolling in behind-the-wheel instruction.
- If a driving school cannot accommodate an instructor gender request, it must allow the student to reschedule without charging an additional fee or penalty.
- By January 1, 2027, driving schools with websites must prominently post whether their instructors have completed DMV proficiency testing and annual training.
- By January 1, 2027, driving schools with websites must disclose whether they use electronic GPS tracking and audio/video monitoring systems in vehicles.
Show all 8 facts
- By January 1, 2027, driving schools with websites must disclose whether their vehicles pass annual DMV inspections.
- Commercial and secondary school driver education programs must include instruction and practice on how to stop in a safe location off the highway and respond to a law enforcement traffic stop.
- The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall adopt regulations governing the establishment, conduct, and scope of driver education programs, including distance learning and instructor license requirements.
- The Department of Motor Vehicles may impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for driving school violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I request a specific gender for my driving instructor?
What safety information must driving schools post on their websites?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the Senate floor.
Procedural history
9 actions- Apr 7, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyFile Number 452
- Apr 7, 2026SenateSenate Calendar Number 264
- Apr 7, 2026SenateFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
- Apr 7, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyReported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
- Mar 30, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyReferred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26 12:00 PM
- Mar 19, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyFiled with Legislative Commissioners' Office
Show 3 earlier actions
- Mar 16, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyJoint Favorable Substitute
- Feb 19, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyPublic Hearing 03/02
- Feb 18, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyCommitteeReferred to Joint Committee on Transportation
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
cga.ct.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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