What's happening
This bill requires New York schools to develop and implement school bus safety and security policies, procedures, and training.
Why it matters
Expanding emergency planning to include school buses. The bill ensures school districts develop specific protocols for responding to threats, violence, and emergencies involving school buses or transportation facilities, addressing a previously overlooked area of school safety.
Regular safety training for staff and students. By mandating annual school bus safety training, the bill aims to better prepare both students and personnel for potential emergencies, helping to reduce risks and improve response times during incidents.
Requiring annual security reviews of transportation facilities. School districts will need to conduct yearly security evaluations of bus garages and other transportation sites, potentially uncovering vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Inclusion of transportation staff in safety planning. By adding bus drivers and transportation personnel to district and building-level safety teams, the bill recognizes their unique insights and roles, fostering more comprehensive and practical safety plans.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Improve School Bus Safety
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.966
- Referred to education
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.
Improve School Bus Safety
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Catherine Nolan
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8234
IN SENATE
April 20, 2018
Introduced by Sen. MARCELLINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the development of school bus safety and security policies and procedures
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs k and l of subdivision 2 of section 2801-a of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part B of chapter 54 of the laws of 2016, are amended and a new paragraph m is added to read as follows:
k. a description of the duties of hall monitors and any other school safety personnel, the training required of all personnel acting in a school security capacity, and the hiring and screening process for all personnel acting in a school security capacity; [and]
l. the designation of the superintendent, or superintendent's designee, as the district chief emergency officer responsible for coordinating communication between school staff and law enforcement and first responders, and ensuring staff understanding of the district-level safety plan. The chief emergency officer shall also be responsible for ensuring the completion and yearly updating of building-level emergency response plans[.]; and
m. policies and procedures relating to school bus safety and security, including:
(i) policies and procedures for responding to implied or direct threats of violence by or against students, school bus personnel, other school personnel, or other persons that involve a school bus or school transportation facility;
(ii) protocols for responding to acts of violence by or against students, school bus personnel, other school personnel, or other persons that involve a school bus or school transportation facility;
(iii) protocols for responding to emergency situations that involve a school bus or school transportation facility;
(iv) policies and procedures for annual school bus safety training for staff and students;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15490-01-8
S. 8234 2
(v) policies and procedures relating to an annual security review of each bus garage or other school district transportation facility.
§ 2. Subdivision 4 of section 2801-a of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part B of chapter 54 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
4. Each district-wide school safety team shall be appointed by the board of education, or the chancellor in the case of the city school district of the city of New York, and shall include but not be limited to representatives of the school board, teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, school safety personnel, bus drivers and other school transportation personnel, and other school personnel. At the discretion of the board of education, or the chancellor in the case of the city of New York, a student may be allowed to participate on the safety team, provided however, that no portion of a confidential building-level emergency response plan shall be shared with such student nor shall such student be present where details of a confidential buildinglevel emergency response plan or confidential portions of a districtwide emergency response strategy are discussed. Each building-level emergency response team shall be appointed by the building principal, in accordance with regulations or guidelines prescribed by the board of education, chancellor or other governing body. Such building-level teams shall include but not be limited to representatives of teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, school safety personnel, bus drivers and other school transportation personnel, and other school personnel, community members, law enforcement officials, fire officials or other emergency response agencies, and any other representatives the board of education, chancellor or other governing body deems appropriate.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the development of school bus safety and security policies and procedures
Purpose
To improve the development of school bus safety and security policies and procedures.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends paragraph K and 1 of subdivision 2 of section 2801-a of the Education Law by adding a new paragraph m. The new paragraph expands the duties of the district chief emergency officer to include the coor- dination of policies and procedures relating to school bus safety and security.
Section 2 amends subdivision 4 of section 2801-a of the Education Law to allow school bus drivers and other school transportation personnel to participate as members of district-wide school safety teams and build- ing-level emergency response teams.
Section 3 provides the effective date.
Justification
In New York State, millions of children ride school buses each day as their primary mode of transportation to receive an education. As an integral part of a student's day, school buses must be safe for children and school personnel. In order to keep schoolchildren safe, policies and procedures relating to school bus safety and security must be on par with school buildings. We can reach those standards by including the coordination of policies and procedures relating to school bus safety and security under the jurisdiction of the appointed district chief emergency officer. Additionally, school bus drivers and other school transportation personnel should be included within district-wide school safety teams and building-level emergency response teams because of their valuable experience gained aboard school buses.
Legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.