Relating to department of education school bus driver authorization and approved courses of instruction

Under current law, a person applying for employment or employed as a school bus driver is required to successfully complete a course of instruction for school bus drivers approved by the department of education (DE) before or within the first months of employment and at least every months thereafter. If a school bus driver fails to provide an employer with a certificate of completion of the course, the driver’s employer must report the failure to DE and the employee’s authorization to operate a school bus must be revoked. A person whose school bus authorization has been revoked is prohibited from being issued another authorization until certification of the completion of a course is received by DE. This bill exempts school bus drivers from being required to complete a course unless the school district employing the driver requires it. A school bus driver whose authorization is revoked may receive authorization without completion of a course if the driver is subsequently employed by a school district that does not require successful completion of a course, so long as the driver is otherwise eligible for authorization. If a school bus driver’s school district requires successful completion of a course, the driver must comply with the course requirements under current law.