This bill prohibits any person from receiving a school bus driver license endorsement or being hired as a school bus driver if the person has committed a serious traffic violation within three years.
Under present law, in order to drive a school bus, a person must possess a certificate issued by the county board of education. A person will not receive a certificate until an investigation determines if the person has any disqualifying criminal convictions (such as DUI or vehicular homicide) and until the criminal records are in the person's permanent file. Under this bill, the investigation must also determine if the person has committed any serious traffic violations, and a driver with a serious traffic violation will be disqualified from receiving a certificate. "Serious traffic violation" is defined as excessive speeding, reckless driving, or a violation of any state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, arising in connection with an accident or collision resulting in death or injury to any person or property.
Present law prohibits the department of safety from issuing a school bus endorsement unless the applicant has had at least five years of unrestricted driving experience before the application date, and the department is satisfied as to the applicant's good character, competency, and fitness for employment. This bill additionally prohibits the department of safety from issuing a bus endorsement to any person who has any disqualifying conviction within five years, or committed a serious traffic violation within three years of applying for an endorsement.
This bill requires school authorities for any public or private school to:
(1) Investigate any complaints made against a school bus driver regarding speeding or reckless, careless, or negligent driving; and
(2) Report any substantiated findings to the LEA or school board and to the pupil transportation section of the department of safety.
ON APRIL 13, 2017, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 149, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 revises this bill as follows:
(1) Prohibits the department from issuing a school bus endorsement to an applicant who is younger than 25 years of age;
(2) Clarifies that an applicant must have at least five "consecutive" years of unrestricted driving experience prior to the date of application;
(3) Removes this bill's requirements that school authorities for any public or private school investigate any complaints made against a school bus driver regarding speeding or reckless, careless, or negligent driving; and report any substantiated findings to the LEA or school board and to the pupil transportation section of the department of safety; and
(4) Changes this bill's effective date from July 1, 2017, to January 1, 2018.
ON MAY 1, 2017, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 149 FOR HOUSE BILL 89 AND RESET SENATE BILL 149.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8-4-116(c), 8-4-116
Amended with SA0343 -- 04/13/2017: 49-6-2107(c), 49-6-2107, 49-6-2107(e), 49-6-2117(b), 49-6-2117, 55-50-302(d), 55-50-302, 49-6-2118