ENROLLED
ACT No. 377
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 156
BY REPRESENTATIVE PUGH
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:164 and R.S. 32:289(B) and to enact R.S. 17:3996(A)(18),
3 (19), and (20) and (B)(54), relative to school buses; to provide relative to regulations
4 for the construction, design, equipment, and operation of school buses; to provide
5 that certain rules and regulations relative to school buses and school bus operators
6 shall apply to charter schools; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:164 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:3996(A)(18),
9 (19), and (20) and (B)(54) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §164. Regulations relating to construction, design, equipment, and operation of
11 school busses buses
12 The Louisiana state board of education is authorized, directed and
13 empowered to The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, hereafter
14 referred to in this Section as the "state board", shall establish and adopt regulations
15 relating to for the construction, design, equipment, and operation of school busses
16 buses used in transportation of students to and from school. Such regulations shall
17 be provided to encourage competition and in no event shall be devised, worded, or
18 construed so as to restrict competition among manufacturers of school bus bodies,
19 chassis, or other equipment or to benefit or favor in any way a particular
20 manufacturer or group of manufacturers of such bus bodies, chassis, or other
21 equipment, either directly including by reference to detail of design peculiar specific
22 to a particular manufacturer or group of manufacturers; providing, any school bus
23 manufacturers. A school bus body, chassis, or equipment that meets shall meet the
24 latest revised minimum standards for school buses adopted and recommended by the
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1 National Conference Congress on School Transportation, sponsored by the National
2 Council of Chief State School Officers, the American Association of School
3 Administrators, NEA, the Department of Rural Education, NEA, and the U.S. Office
4 of Education National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation
5 Services, the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the National School
6 Transportation Association, the School Transportation section of the National Safety
7 Council, and the School Bus Manufacturers Technical Council, shall be deemed in
8 compliance with any such regulations adopted by the Louisiana state board of
9 education; providing such rules and regulations as heretofore provided for shall not
10 apply to any feeder busses in operation in the State. the regulations adopted pursuant
11 to this Section, and all statutory requirements for the construction, design,
12 equipment, and operation of school buses. This Section shall not apply to feeder
13 buses in operation in this state.
14 * * *
15 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
16 A. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
17 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
18 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
19 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
20 exempt from all rules and regulations of the state board and those of any local school
21 board that are applicable to public schools and to public school officers and
22 employees except for the following rules and regulations otherwise applicable to
23 public schools regarding:
24 * * *
25 (18) School bus specifications and inspection requirements.
26 (19) School bus operational procedures.
27 (20) School bus operator and bus attendant pre-employment screening and
28 training requirements.
29 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
30 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
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1 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
2 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
3 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
4 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
5 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
6 * * *
7 (54) Regulations for the construction, design, equipment, and operation of
8 school buses, R.S. 17:164.
9 * * *
10 Section 2. R.S. 32:289(B) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §289. Cellular radio telecommunication device use by operators of school buses
12 prohibited; penalties
13 * * *
14 B. For purposes of this Section, "cellular radio telecommunication device"
15 shall mean a device capable of sending or receiving telephone communications
16 without an access line for service and which requires the operator to dial numbers
17 manually or by voice recognition. It does not include citizens band radios or citizens
18 band radio hybrids or any device with a push-to-talk function used in a similar
19 manner as a citizens band radio or a citizens band radio hybrid.
20 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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