STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes School Transportation Safety Commission in Department of Law and Public Safety.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a School Transportation Safety Commission and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The School Transportation Safety Commission is created and established in the Executive Branch of the State Government. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the commission is allocated in the Department of Law and Public Safety, but notwithstanding this allocation, the commission shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any board or officer thereof.
The commission shall consist of eight members, including the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or a designee, who shall serve ex-officio, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, or a designee, who shall serve ex-officio, and the Commissioner of Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex-officio, and five public members to be appointed by the Governor.
b. Each public member of the commission shall serve for a term of three years, except that of the initial members so appointed: one member shall serve for a term of one year; two members shall serve for terms of two years; and two members shall serve for terms of three years. Public members shall be eligible for reappointment. They shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and the term of the successor of any incumbent shall be calculated from the expiration of the term of that incumbent. A vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, but for the unexpired term only.
c. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
d. The commission annually shall elect a chair from among its members. It shall meet upon the call of the chair or of a majority of the commission members. The presence of a majority of the authorized membership of the commission shall be required for the conduct of official business.
e. The commission shall appoint an executive director, who shall serve at its pleasure and shall be a person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office.
2. The commission shall have the following responsibilities and duties:
a. to review State regulations pertaining to school bus safety;
b. to prepare a biannual report on school bus safety that includes a review of student transportation safety records and data; and
c. to identify the status of the implementation of past recommendations for additional action or oversight made by the Transportation Task Force of the Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools or of any other task force formed to improve school bus safety.
3. a. The commission is authorized to call upon any department, office, division or agency of the State, or of any county, municipality or school district of the State, to supply such data, program reports and other information, personnel and assistance as it deems necessary to discharge its responsibilities under this act.
b. These departments, offices, divisions and agencies shall, to the extent possible, and not inconsistent with any other law of this State, cooperate with the commission and shall furnish it with such information, personnel and assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes of this act.
4. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the School Transportation Safety Commission in, but not of, the Department of Law and Public Safety. The commission will consist of eight members, including the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and the Commissioner of Education, or their designees, serving ex-officio, and five public members. Public members will be appointed by the Governor.
The commission will have the following responsibilities and duties: review State regulations pertaining to school bus safety; prepare a biannual report on school bus safety that includes a review of student transportation safety records and data; and identify the status of the implementation of the recommendations for additional action or oversight made by the Transportation Task Force of the Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools or of any other task force formed to improve school bus safety.
Edmond Bock IV, a first grade student at Atco Elementary School, was tragically struck by a school bus and killed on January 6, 2014. The sponsor seeks to improve safety in student transportation through this bill and other legislation.