What's happening
This bill expands and updates the list of criminal offenses that permanently disqualify individuals from being school bus drivers in New York.
Why it matters
Broadens the permanent disqualification criteria. The bill adds several more criminal offenses—many of them related to child endangerment, sexual abuse, and exploitation—to the list of convictions that permanently bar individuals from becoming school bus drivers, reflecting a more comprehensive approach to student safety.
Closes gaps in previous law. By including offenses like reckless assault of a child, criminal sexual acts with minors, promoting obscene sexual performance by a child, and endangering the welfare of a child, the bill addresses potential loopholes where individuals with relevant but previously unlisted convictions might have qualified as drivers.
Updates and modernizes legal references. The bill removes some offenses from the five-year disqualification list and instead adds them to the permanent disqualification category, showing a shift toward stricter, more permanent consequences for crimes involving children.
Aligns with out-of-state and prior law violations. The language ensures that equivalent convictions from other states or under prior versions of New York’s penal law are treated the same way, preventing disqualified individuals from circumventing the rules due to technicalities in where or when the offense occurred.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Offenders From Bus Driving
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1214
- Referred to transportation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 63–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1503
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Ban Child Offenders as Bus Drivers
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6393
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 15, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the disqualification of school bus drivers for certain offenses involving children
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 509-cc of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 400 of the laws of 2011 and paragraph (c) as amended by chapter 368 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
(4) (a) The offenses referred to in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision one and paragraph (a) of subdivision two of this section that result in permanent disqualification shall include a conviction under [sections] section 120.02, 120.12, 125.12, 125.13, 125.14, 125.15, 125.20, 125.21, 125.22, 125.25, 125.26, 125.27, 130.20, 130.25, 130.30, 130.35, 130.45, 130.50, 130.52, 130.53, 130.55, 130.60, 130.65, 130.66, 130.67, 130.70, 130.75, 130.80, 130.85, 130.90, 130.95, 130.96, 135.25, 150.20, 230.30, 230.32, 230.34, 235.21, 235.22, 260.20, 260.21, 263.05, 263.10, 263.11, 263.15, 263.16 of the penal law or an attempt to commit any of the aforesaid offenses under section 110.00 of the penal law, or any offenses committed under a former section of the penal law which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law, or any offenses committed outside this state which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law.
(b) The offenses referred to in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision one and paragraph (b) of subdivision two of this section that result in permanent disqualification shall include a conviction under sections 100.13, 105.15, 105.17, 115.08, 120.12, 120.70, 125.10, 125.11, 130.40, 130.53, [130.60,] 130.65-a, 135.20, 160.15, 220.18, 220.21, 220.39, 220.41, 220.43, 220.44, 230.25, 260.00, 265.04 of the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05469-01-7
S. 6393 2
penal law or an attempt to commit any of the aforesaid offenses under section 110.00 of the penal law, or any offenses committed under a former section of the penal law which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law, or any offenses committed outside this state which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law.
(c) The offenses referred to in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (b) of subdivision one and subparagraph (i) of paragraph (c) of subdivision two of this section that result in disqualification for a period of five years shall include a conviction under sections 100.10, 105.13, 115.05, 120.03, 120.04, 120.04-a, 120.05, 120.10, 120.25, 121.12, 121.13, 125.40, 125.45, [130.20, 130.25,] 130.52, 130.55, 135.10, [135.55,] 140.17, 140.25, 140.30, 145.12, 150.10, 150.15, 160.05, 160.10, 220.06, 220.09, 220.16, 220.31, 220.34, 220.60, 220.65, 221.30, 221.50, 221.55, 230.00, 230.05, 230.06, 230.11, 230.12, 230.13, 230.19, 230.20, 235.05, 235.06, 235.07, [235.21,] 240.06, 245.00, 260.10, [subdivision two of section 260.20] and sections 260.25, 265.02, 265.03, 265.08, 265.09, 265.10, 265.12, 265.35 of the penal law or an attempt to commit any of the aforesaid offenses under section 110.00 of the penal law, or any similar offenses committed under a former section of the penal law, or any offenses committed under a former section of the penal law which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law, or any offenses committed outside this state which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the disqualification of school bus drivers for certain offenses involving children
Purpose
This bill prohibits individuals who are convicted of certain offenses involving children from being school bus drivers.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends Subdivision 4 of section 509-cc of the vehicle and traffic law to include convictions under the following sections of the penal law among those which would result in permanent disqualification from being a school bus driver.
Section two sets forth the effective date.
Justification
Current law includes a number of offenses which permanently disqualify an individual from being a school bus driver; this legislation updates the law by including offenses involving children that were developed after this original law was enacted.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.