2025 -- S 0397
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LC001825
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUF FEURS'
LICENSES
Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Zurier, and de la Cruz
Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
Referred To: Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 31-10-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators’ 1
and Chauffeurs’ Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
31-10-5. Special restrictions for drivers for compensation. 3
(a) No person who is under the age of twenty-one (21) years shall drive any school bus 4
transporting school children or any motor vehicle when in use for the transportation of persons or 5
property for compensation nor in either event until he or she has been licensed as a chauffeur for 6
either purpose and the license so indicates. Colleges and universities shall be exempt from the 7
requirement for a public plate for vehicles used to shuttle only students or employees to various 8
points within the college or university campus or if a college or university owned or leased vehicle 9
is used for the occasional transportation of college or university employees or students either on or 10
off campus provided that the vehicle is operated by a college or university employee possessing a 11
valid Rhode Island chauffeur’s license or a commercial drivers license with a passenger 12
endorsement. Provided, however, that the college or university shall operate the shuttle service and 13
there shall be no specific charge for the transportation of students or employees. The division of 14
motor vehicles shall not issue a chauffeur’s license for either purpose unless the applicant has had 15
at least one year of driving experience prior to the application, and has filed with the division of 16
motor vehicles one or more certificates signed by a total of at least three (3) responsible people to 17
whom he or she is well known certifying to the applicant’s good character and habits and the 18
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administrator of the division of motor vehicles is fully satisfied as to the applicant’s competency 1
and fitness to be so employed. 2
(b) In addition to the requirements provided in subsection (a) of this section, any person 3
(hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "applicant") attempting to obtain a chauffeur’s license to 4
drive a school bus transporting school children shall, prior to being certified: 5
(1) Successfully complete a ten (10) hour school bus driver training course conducted by 6
the department of revenue or the department of revenue’s designee and file a certificate of 7
successful completion with the division of motor vehicles. The curriculum of that course and the 8
accreditation of courses offered shall be pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the 9
division of motor vehicles. Provided, for an applicant who holds a valid commercial driver’s 10
license, the course shall be abbreviated and reduced in time and shall focus on the specific Rhode 11
Island requirements for school bus drivers; 12
(2) Pass a written examination prepared and given by the department of revenue or the 13
department of revenue’s designee. 14
(3) Pass a driving test in a school bus of a like type which that person will be employed to 15
drive. The test will be prepared and given by the department of revenue. 16
(c) Prior to issuing a certificate to any person who intends to drive a school bus, the division 17
of motor vehicles shall conduct a search of that person’s motor vehicle record. Any violation of 18
any safety regulation or conviction of any motor vehicle law in this or any other state shall be 19
grounds for refusing to issue a certificate. 20
31-10-5.1. School bus driver annual training. 21
(a) The department of revenue shall promulgate any rules and regulations that it deems 22
necessary to ensure that a ten-hour (10) training course is provided for all new school bus drivers 23
(hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "applicant") and a three-hour (3) retraining course is 24
provided to all renewal applicants on at least a yearly basis. Provided, that for an applicant who 25
holds a valid commercial driver’s license, the ten (10) hour training course shall be abbreviated and 26
reduced in time and shall focus on the specific Rhode Island requirements for school bus drivers. 27
(b) The training shall include, but not be limited to, defensive driving, the National 28
Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s School Bus Driver In-Service Series, and instruction in 29
all state laws, rules, and regulations relating to school buses and school bus safety. 30
(c) Prior to any renewal of any certificate of a school bus driver, the division of motor 31
vehicles shall require proof of the renewal applicant’s having successfully completed the annual 32
retraining as provided in this section. Every ten (10) years that proof shall include the passing of a 33
written examination prepared by the department of revenue, or the department of revenue’s 34
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designee, and conducted by employees of the department. 1
SECTION 2. Chapter 31-10 of the General Laws entitled "Operators’ and Chauffeurs’ 2
Licenses" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 3
31-10-5.2. Temporary school bus driver license for out-of-state holders of commercial 4
driver’s license. 5
(a) A person who is a resident of a state which borders Rhode Island, and which person 6
possesses a valid commercial driver’s license and a license to operate a school bus in the person's 7
state of residence, may apply for a temporary school bus certificate or pupil transportation 8
certificate (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “temporary school bus driver license”) in Rhode 9
Island, as follows: 10
(1) The person is a resident of the border state; 11
(2) The person brings to any branch of the division of motor vehicles (the “division”) an 12
original or certified copy of the following documents which pertain to the person: 13
(i) A current valid school bus driver physical; 14
(ii) A valid in-force commercial driver’s license; 15
(iii) A valid in-force school bus operator license from the state wherein they are a resident; 16
(iv) Proof of residency in the bordering state; 17
(v) Proof of United States’ citizenship; 18
(vi) A social security card; and 19
(vii) A letter from a local school bus provider, contractor, or school district, indicating that 20
the person will be employed as a school bus driver by the issuer of the letter if the person obtains 21
their temporary school bus driver license pursuant to this section. 22
(3) In the event the person brings in the documents listed in this subsection, the division of 23
motor vehicles shall review the documents. If the division determines the documents appear to be 24
in order, the division may issue to the person a temporary school bus driver license under this 25
section. In reviewing the documents, for purposes of this section, the division need only verify that 26
the documents on their face appear valid; provided that, the division may refuse to issue the 27
temporary school bus driver license if the division finds irregularities in the documents or has other 28
reason to believe the temporary school bus driver license should not be issued to the applicant. 29
(b)(1) A temporary school bus driver license issued pursuant to this section shall be valid 30
for and expire one hundred twenty (120) days after its date of issuance. 31
(2) Within that one hundred twenty day (120) period, the person may undertake the ten 32
(10) hour training course provided for in §§ 31-10-5 and 31-10-5.1. If the person undertakes and 33
completes the training course, and submits proof of such completion to the division of motor 34
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vehicles before expiration of the temporary school bus driver license, and provided the person 1
otherwise meets the requirements of this chapter, the person shall be issued a full school bus 2
certificate or pupil transportation certificate, and shall be subject to the same rules and conditions 3
as any holder of such a license or certificate. 4
(3) If a person operating under a temporary school bus certificate or pupil transportation 5
certificate does not either complete the training required or fails to submit proof of their training as 6
provided under this chapter, within the one hundred twenty (120) day period, the person’s 7
temporary school bus driver license shall immediately be cancelled. The division of motor vehicles 8
shall mail that person a written cancellation notice of their Rhode Island temporary school bus 9
driver license. 10
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 11
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUF FEURS'
LICENSES
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This act would provide that the ten (10) hour training course required of applicants to be a 1
school bus driver would be abbreviated and reduced in time for applicants who also hold a valid 2
commercial driver’s license. This act would also authorize the division of motor vehicles to issue 3
a temporary school bus driver license to certain persons who reside in states bordering Rhode Island 4
and who meet other requirements. 5
This act would take effect upon passage. 6
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