Relating to passenger automobiles designed to carry ten or fewer pupils when used as school buses

Administrative rules of the department of education regulate type III vehicles used as school buses.2(5), type III vehicles are not regular school buses but are used to transport students in a school-related context and may be marked as a school bus. A type III vehicle is a van or passenger car, including a minivan, sport utility vehicle, or station wagon. The difference between a family automobile and an equivalent type III vehicle is not the vehicle itself, but rather its use, as type III vehicles are used by schools for purposes of student transportation. To qualify as a type III vehicle, the vehicle must carry a maximum of nine or fewer people, including the driver, and weigh 10,000 pounds or less. CURRENT FEDERAL LAW. School buses are subject to a variety of federal motor vehicle safety standards. Under federal law, a school bus is a passenger motor vehicle designed to carry a driver and more than 10 passengers that is used significantly to transport students to or from school or an event related to school. TRANSPORTATION OF 10 OR FEWER PUPILS.1 motor vehicles designed to carry not more than 10 persons as passengers, not including the driver. The bill requires the administrative rules to allow passenger automobiles designed to carry 10 or fewer pupils to be used as school buses.