STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PAUL D. MORIARTY
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOE to post information on website concerning incidents in which a pupil is left on a school bus at the end of a driver's route; permits commissioner to fine busing providers for such incidents.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning school bus safety 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 school district which owns and operates its own school buses or a school bus contractor shall notify the Department of Education within two business days in the event that a pupil is left unattended on a school bus at the end of the transportation route. A school bus contractor shall also immediately notify the superintendent of the district in which the student is enrolled.
b. The department shall maintain a record of all incidents, including the date, the district, the name of the school bus contractor, if applicable, and a short description of the incident. The record shall be made available to the public on the department's website. The information on the department's website shall not include the names of pupils or their parents or guardians or any information the disclosure of which is prohibited under federal or State law or regulation.
2. The Commissioner of Education may impose a monetary penalty in such amount as the commissioner deems appropriate but not in excess of $25,000 against a school district that owns and operates its own school buses or a school bus contractor in the event that a pupil is left unattended on a school bus at the end of the transportation route or if the district or contractor fails to provide notice pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a school district that owns and operates its own school buses or a school bus contractor to notify the Department of Education within two business days in the event that a pupil is left unattended on a school bus at the end of the transportation route. A school bus contractor would also be required to immediately notify the superintendent of the district in which the pupil is enrolled.
The bill requires the Department of Education to maintain records of all incidents and to make the information available to the public on the department's website. The bill permits the Commissioner of Education to impose a monetary penalty that may not be in excess of $25,000 against a school district that owns and operates its own school buses or a school bus contractor whenever a pupil is left unattended on a school bus at the end of the route or if the district or contractor fails to provide the notice.