Bill Text: NY A07459 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relates to establishing a task force on safety in school transportation to review and promote such safety.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-4)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-06 - print number 7459a [A07459 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A07459-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relates to establishing a task force on safety in school transportation to review and promote such safety.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-4)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-06 - print number 7459a [A07459 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A07459-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7459 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY May 23, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a task force on safety in school transportation The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3639 2 to read as follows: 3 § 3639. Task force on safety in school transportation. 1. There is 4 hereby created a task force on safety in school transportation with the 5 purpose of reviewing and promoting safety in school transportation. 6 2. The task force shall consist of eighteen members appointed as 7 follows: five members appointed by the governor, five members appointed 8 by the temporary president of the senate, and five members appointed by 9 the speaker of the assembly. The task force shall also include the 10 commissioner or his or her designee; the commissioner of transportation 11 or his or her designee; and the commissioner of the department of motor 12 vehicles or his or her designee. The members appointed to the task 13 force shall include, but not be limited to: education and community 14 stakeholders; parents; teachers; administrators; and school bus drivers 15 and other school bus personnel who are members of a labor union. 16 3. It shall be the duty of the task force to study and issue recommen- 17 dations related to student safety in school transportation. The task 18 force shall review and make recommendations on: 19 a. existing state laws, regulations, and programs that address school 20 bus safety, and make recommendations for their improvement, including 21 any recommendations necessary to ensure pedestrian safety and the safety 22 of students; 23 b. examining the possibility of requiring a state department or office 24 to conduct a biannual review of all aspects of school bus safety and to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04722-03-3A. 7459 2 1 issue recommendations for additional action or oversight, as appropri- 2 ate; 3 c. developing a plan to phase in any school bus safety measures recom- 4 mended by the task force through retrofitting and prospective vehicle 5 purchases, and identify the potential application of vehicle sensor 6 technology to improve school bus safety; 7 d. identifying best practices for the designation of school bus stops; 8 e. the current safety status of students who walk to and from school 9 and identify strategies that support safe pedestrian behavior by 10 students between their homes and schools, including as they walk to and 11 from bus stops and board and exit buses; 12 f. identifying safety protocols to be followed by school bus drivers 13 and school bus aides, including safeguards to ensure that protocols are 14 followed when a substitute driver or school bus aide is assigned to a 15 school bus; 16 g. developing recommendations to curb illegal passing of school buses; 17 and 18 h. determining if there is a need for additional public education 19 programs that promote school bus safety. 20 4. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in 21 the same manner as the original appointments were made. The members of 22 the task force shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed 23 for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. 24 5. The task force shall organize as soon as is practical upon the 25 appointment of a majority of its members. The chair of the task force 26 shall be designated by a simple majority vote of all members of the task 27 force. 28 6. The department shall provide staff and related support services to 29 the task force. The task force shall also be entitled to call upon the 30 services of any state, county, or municipal department, board, commis- 31 sion or agency, as may be available to it for these purposes, and to 32 incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem 33 necessary for the proper execution of its duties and as may be within 34 the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for 35 these purposes. The task force may meet and hold hearings at such places 36 as it shall designate. 37 7. The task force shall create a final report regarding all findings 38 and recommendations to be delivered on or before December thirty-first, 39 two thousand twenty-four to the governor, the temporary president of the 40 senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate education 41 committee, the chair of the assembly education committee, the chair of 42 the senate transportation committee and the chair of the assembly trans- 43 portation committee. 44 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
