SB 896 - This act modifies Missouri's graduated driver's license law. HOURS OF BEHIND-THE-WHEEL INSTRUCTION - This act increases the number of hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction that one must complete in order to obtain a temporary instruction permit. The current law requires 20 hours of instruction while the act proposes 40 hours of instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime instruction. This requirement is effective January 1, 2007. PASSENGER RESTRICTIONS - The act places passenger restrictions on individuals who possess an intermediate driver's license. For the first six months after issuance of the intermediate driver's license, the holder of the license shall not operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger who is under the age of 19 who is not a member of the holder's immediate family. After the expiration of the first 6 months, the holder of an intermediate driver's license shall not operate a motor vehicle with more than three passengers who are under 19 years of age and who are not members of the holder's immediate family. The act provides that any person who violates the provisions of the intermediate driver's license law or the temporary permit law shall be guilty of an infraction and no points shall be assessed to their driving record for any such violation. STEPHEN WITTE