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History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
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Requires school bus drivers and attendants who ride with children attending preschool special education programs to complete training
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Harvey Weisenberg
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring school bus drivers and school bus attendants who ride with children attending preschool special education programs to complete training in the needs of such children
Purpose
This bill would include preschool special education transportation providers who are hired by counties to adhere to state training requirements for bus drivers and attendants who work with students with disabilities.
Summary of provisions
Subdivisions 1 and 2 of the vehicle and traffic law, subdivision 1 as added by chapter 675 of the laws of 1985 and subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 164 of the laws of 2003 are amended to include preschool special education transportation providers hired by counties to be within the students with disabilities training requirements provided in this section.
Justification
Chapter 472 of 2002 established training requirements for school bus attendants and drivers who transport students with disabilities, bringing all school bus drivers, monitors and attendants under the jurisdiction of the State Education Department for hiring and training qualifications. Prior to this, there were no requirements for training or hiring qualifications of transportation personnel, and no state agency had any jurisdiction. The 2002 law did not differentiate between public and private settings and private and applies to public schools that contract out, to public school students who are privately placed and for those students with disabilities who require a 12 month program.
In certain circumstances, counties are responsible for providing transportation covered under the Committees on Preschool Special Education. This represents some of our youngest and most vulnerable children with disabilities. Due to a loophole in Chapter 472 of 2002, counties are not consistently required to meet state standards for transporting these students. For example, if a county contracts with a school district to provide the transportation, drivers would have to be trained. If the county pays for the service directly, there is no training requirement. ensure the same state-wide protections This bill will ensure the same state-wide protections to students of all ages regardless of who arranges for their transportation.
Prior legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Sixty days after it becomes law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.