House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, moved for an override, which all the 18 members present supported.
Reps. Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, and Tony P. Sablan, R-Saipan, were absent.
The Senate is also expected to override the veto of the bill, S.B. 17-20, which was introduced by Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, last year.
If enacted into law, the bill will almost triple the current driver’s license fee and eventually put the driving school out of business.
Lawmakers said students and their parents have complained about the $350 fee charged by the only driving school on island. Payments are spread out over a three-month time period, sometimes longer.
S.B. 17-20 will amend Public Law 15-25 which required new drivers to obtain formal driving education and paved the way for the establishment of the privately owned driving school.
Without suspending the driver education program, S.B. 17-20 will allow licensed drivers over 21 years old to teach first-time drivers.
The bill also raises the license fee from $15 to $40 and authorizes the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicle to offers a driving class to first-time drivers.
Fitial vetoed the bill two weeks ago, saying that BMV is neither ready nor equipped to create a driver education program.
He also believes that the bill will expose the government to unfunded liability if a student driver runs into an accident.
