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ACT No. 654
Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE BILL NO. 600
BY REPRESENTATIVE ABRAMSON AND SENATOR MURRAY
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 17:158(J) and 3996(B)(34), relative to the loading and unloading of school2
buses; to provide limitations on the location of such loading and unloading; and to3
provide for related matters.4
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:5
Section 1. R.S. 17:158(J) and 3996(B)(34) are hereby enacted to read as follows:6
§158. School buses for transportation of students; employment of bus operators;7
alternative means of transportation; improvement of school bus turnarounds;8
loading and unloading students9
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J. The governing authority of each public school shall adopt policies and11
procedures or shall make provision in its bus transportation service agreement to do12
all of the following:13
(1) Prohibit a bus driver from loading or unloading students at school while14
the bus is in a traffic lane of any type of street as defined in R.S. 32:1 and require15
that students be loaded or unloaded on a shoulder, in a school parking lot, or at other16
appropriate off-road location at the school as determined by the school governing17
authority. The requirements of this Paragraph shall not apply if the shoulder of a18
municipal road is the only available alternative and the municipality has not made19
the shoulder available by designating that area for loading and unloading students20
during designated school zone hours.21
(2) Prohibit a bus driver from loading or unloading students at or near their22
homes while the bus is in a traffic lane of any type of street as defined in R.S. 32:123
and require that students be loaded or unloaded on a shoulder. However, if there is24 ENROLLEDHB NO. 600
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no shoulder, a bus driver may load and unload a student while the bus is in a lane of1
traffic but only if the bus is in the lane farthest to the right side of the road so that the2
student does not need to cross any lane of traffic to get onto or off of the bus. 3
(3) Prohibit a bus driver from loading or unloading students either at school4
or at or near their homes in a manner or in a location that results in students crossing5
lanes of traffic on a state highway or any other type of street.6
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§3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements8
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B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and10
except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a11
charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this12
Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be13
exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are14
applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for15
the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:16
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(34) School bus loading and unloading provisions, R.S. 17:158(J).18
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SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: