A total of five bills that will affect the school bus community within the state were awaiting Gov. Dannel Malloy’s signature at this writing.
The recently completed legislative session was under continual review by the state pupil transportation association, the Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA), which did its share to help pass the following bills:
- HB 6448: Originally introduced at the request of COSTA, this bill will exempt new school buses registered between Aug. 1 and the start of the school year that have already passed inspections from being required to be re-inspected until September of the next school year.
- HB 6581: Makes the following changes to state motor vehicle statutes:
- Bans school buses from driving in the left lane of a three lane highway, except under limited circumstances
- Requires school bus operators to remove a driver from a school bus within 48 hours, rather than 10 days, after learning that the DMV has suspended that driver’s school bus endorsement
- Prohibits employers from knowingly requiring or permitting an employee acting in the scope of his or her employment from driving a commercial motor vehicle used for passenger transportation without the proper endorsement
- Increases the fines for using a cell phone or texting while driving
- Eliminates the requirement that school buses used for activity other than carrying school children must cover the lettering identifying the bus
- Allows a dealer of new school buses to process the registrations for these vehicles
- Requires DMV to study alternatives for the performance of certain DMV functions, such as privatization, on-line services and off-site locations for renewal of non-commercial driver’s license and registrations and report back to the Transportation Committee by 1/11/12
- HB 6449: Gives towns and school boards the right to install cameras on school buses to capture motor vehicles that illegally pass school buses while the red signal lights are flashing
- HB 6651: requires a study on the possibility of implementing uniform school calendars and transportation services
- SB 913: requires certain employers with 50 or more people in the state to provide paid sick leave that accrues at a rate of one hour per 40 hours worked. Connecticut is the first state in the nation to pass such legislation. Included with bus drivers are food service workers, home health aides, nurses, retail salespersons, administrative assistants, restaurant servers, and others.
