| 1 | 1 | | 84R2429 KJE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Longoria H.B. No. 343 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the transportation of public school students in certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | vehicles. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 34.003(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) School buses or mass transit authority motor buses shall |
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| 13 | 13 | | be used for the transportation of students to and from schools on |
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| 14 | 14 | | routes having 10 or more students. On those routes having fewer |
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| 15 | 15 | | than 10 students, passenger cars or passenger vans may be used for |
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| 16 | 16 | | the transportation of students to and from school. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Section 521.022(h), Transportation Code, is |
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| 18 | 18 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (h) This section does not apply to the operation of: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) a vehicle owned by a public institution of higher |
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| 21 | 21 | | education to transport students of a school district that operates |
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| 22 | 22 | | within that institution if: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) [(1)] the person operating the vehicle is |
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| 24 | 24 | | approved by the institution to operate the vehicle; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (B) [(2)] the transportation is for a special |
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| 26 | 26 | | event, including a field trip; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) a multifunction school activity bus, as defined by |
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| 28 | 28 | | Section 541.201, owned by a school district to transport students |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the district if: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (A) the bus is designed to accommodate 15 or |
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| 31 | 31 | | fewer passengers, including the operator; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (B) the person operating the bus is approved by |
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| 33 | 33 | | the district to operate the bus; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (C) the transportation is for a school-related |
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| 35 | 35 | | activity trip other than routes to and from school. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 37 | 37 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 38 | 38 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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