| 1 | 1 | | 88R7752 CXP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hernandez H.B. No. 1870 |
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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 safety standards for private passenger van services |
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| 8 | 8 | | that transport students to and from public primary and secondary |
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| 9 | 9 | | schools. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 12 | 12 | | Section 34.0025 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 34.0025. SAFETY STANDARDS FOR PRIVATE PASSENGER VAN |
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| 14 | 14 | | SERVICES. (a) The Department of Public Safety, with the advice of |
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| 15 | 15 | | the agency, shall: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) establish safety standards for private passenger |
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| 17 | 17 | | van services that transport students to and from school for |
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| 18 | 18 | | compensation; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) develop an annual two-hour training course on |
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| 20 | 20 | | transportation safety for operators and employees of a private |
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| 21 | 21 | | passenger van service described by Subdivision (1). |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) An operator of a private passenger van service described |
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| 23 | 23 | | by Subsection (a)(1) may not transport students to and from school |
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| 24 | 24 | | unless: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) the operator is registered with the secretary of |
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| 26 | 26 | | state to transact business in this state; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) the operator maintains commercial insurance; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) the operator meets or exceeds the safety standards |
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| 29 | 29 | | established under Subsection (a); and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) the operator and each employee of the operator who |
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| 31 | 31 | | transports students for the private passenger van service complete |
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| 32 | 32 | | the annual training course on transportation safety developed under |
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| 33 | 33 | | Subsection (a). |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) A school district shall provide to the parent of each |
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| 35 | 35 | | district student at the beginning of each school year or on |
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| 36 | 36 | | enrollment of the student after the beginning of a school year |
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| 37 | 37 | | written notice stating that the district may not release a student |
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| 38 | 38 | | to an operator of a private passenger van service described by |
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| 39 | 39 | | Subsection (a)(1) unless the district receives a signed |
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| 40 | 40 | | authorization letter from the parent that includes: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) the name of the student; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) the name and contact information of the operator; |
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| 43 | 43 | | and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (3) an acknowledgement from the operator that the |
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| 45 | 45 | | operator is in compliance with the requirements of Subsection (b). |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) The Department of Public Safety and the agency shall |
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| 47 | 47 | | jointly adopt rules to administer this section, including rules |
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| 48 | 48 | | defining "private passenger van service" for purposes of this |
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| 49 | 49 | | section. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2024-2025 |
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| 51 | 51 | | school year. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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