Bill Text: NJ A4343 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Amended

---

Bill Title: Requires boards of education and school bus contractors to designate individuals as certain school bus safety personnel.*

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-12-16 - Substituted by S2851 (4R) [A4343 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-A4343-Amended.html

---

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4343

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED AUGUST 27, 2018

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman  P. CHRISTOPHER TULLY

District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  LISA SWAIN

District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  PATRICIA EGAN JONES

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson and Assemblyman Karabinchak

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires boards of education and school bus contractors to designate individuals as certain school bus safety personnel.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee on November 18, 2019, with amendments.

 

An Act requiring certain school bus safety personnel and supplementing chapter 39 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

      1.   a.  A board of education or a contractor that provides pupil transportation services under contract with a board of education shall ¹[employ the appropriate number of] designate at least one individual to serve as a¹ school bus safety ¹[managers, as established by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission pursuant to section 2 of this act] manager, or as a supervisor of driver improvement¹.  A school bus safety manager's responsibilities shall include: ensuring compliance with State and federal laws, rules, and regulations regarding school bus safety; providing periodic training in the proper use of emergency equipment; and the dissemination of industry best practices for avoiding accidents.

      ¹[b.  A board of education or a contractor that provides pupil transportation services under contract with a board of education shall employ the appropriate number of supervisors of driver improvement, as established by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission pursuant to section 2 of this act.]¹  A supervisor of driver improvement's responsibilities shall include: providing professional development, including individualized behind the wheel training, to school bus drivers; and periodically accompanying school bus drivers on their appointed school bus routes.

      ¹[c.]  b.¹   A current employee who meets the qualifications established ¹[by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission]¹ pursuant to section 3 of this act may satisfy the requirements of this section.

 

      2.   The Commissioner of Education may perform random audits of a board of education or contractor to ensure compliance with the provisions of section 1 of this act at any time.  A board of education or contractor shall require that each school bus safety manager and supervisor of driver improvement that it ¹[employs] has designated¹ completes the documentation required pursuant to regulations promulgated by the ¹[Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission] commissioner¹ to demonstrate compliance.  The board of education or contractor shall retain copies of the documentation in accordance with those regulations.

      3.   The ¹[Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission] Commissioner of Education¹ shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedures Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) ¹,¹ to effectuate the provisions of this act.  The regulations shall ¹[:]¹ establish ¹[the appropriate number of school bus safety managers and supervisors of driver improvement that a board of education or contractor must employ based on the number of full-time, part-time, substitute, and temporary school bus drivers that the entity employs;]¹ the qualifications necessary for an individual to be ¹[employed] designated¹ as a school bus safety manager or supervisor of driver improvement ¹[;]¹ and the documentation that a board of education or contractor ¹[must] is required to¹ retain to demonstrate compliance with this act, including the amount of time that the documentation ¹[must] is required to¹ be retained.

 

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the first full school year following the date of enactment.