Relating to approved courses of instruction for school bus drivers, and including effective date provisions

Under current law, a person applying for employment or employed as a school bus driver must successfully complete a course of instruction for school bus drivers approved by the department of education (DE). The DE establishes rules and requirements for such instruction courses. The course must be completed before or within the first months of the person’s employment and at least every months thereafter. Beginning February 7, 2022, the federal motor carrier safety administration requires persons seeking a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time, persons seeking to upgrade certain existing CDLs, and persons seeking to obtain a school bus, passenger, or hazardous materials endorsement to complete entry-level driver training (ELDT). This bill requires DE to accept proof that a person successfully completed ELDT as completion of an approved course of instruction for school bus drivers so long as that ELDT contains passenger endorsement training curriculum and school bus endorsement training curriculum. The bill requires DE, in collaboration with the department of transportation, to adopt administrative rules establishing requirements for ELDT providers to comply with the bill, and requiring certain training course standards. The bill does not change the requirement for a person employed as a school bus driver to successfully complete a DE-approved course of instruction for school bus drivers at least every months.376(3).