Driver education course to be made available to all secondary school pupils prior to their graduation; exemption; application by pupil for unrestricted operator's license

Before any pupil graduates from a secondary school, he or she shall first be provided an opportunity and encouraged to successfully complete a driver education course approved by the state board in a public, private or parochial secondary school within the state. If a pupil has successfully completed a similar course in a secondary school of another state or in a commercial driving school or class and the course is accepted by the state board as adequately meeting and complying with the course standards established by the state board, then the aforementioned requirement shall be deemed fulfilled regarding that pupil. Any secondary school pupil sixteen years of age or older, but under eighteen years of age, who has successfully completed a driver education course approved by the state board in a public, private, parochial secondary school within the state or a similar course in a secondary school of another state or in a commercial driving school or class and accepted by the state board as adequately meeting and complying with the course standards established by the state board, shall be exempted from submitting a sworn affidavit certified by the parent, legal guardian, or other responsible adult over the age of twenty-one that the applicant has successfully completed the minimum number of hours of behind-the-wheel training as provided in section three-a, article two, chapter seventeen-b of the code.