Bill > HB430

This bill amends Kentucky laws related to school transportation by expanding and clarifying regulations for school buses and alternative passenger vehicles used to transport students. The Kentucky Board of Education is now authorized to create administrative regulations requiring regular school bus safety instruction for students, with a specific exemption for small school districts that transport 48 or fewer students daily. Exempted districts must develop and implement their own school bus safety instruction policy, which must be submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education. The bill also updates requirements for school bus and passenger vehicle safety, including mandating specific licensing for drivers (commercial driver's license for school buses, Class D license for passenger vehicles), and establishes new inspection and marking requirements for non-school bus passenger vehicles used for student transportation. Additionally, the bill allows these alternative transportation vehicles to be used under an approved plan by the Kentucky Department of Education, with new standards for vehicle specifications, route safety, pick-up and drop-off protocols, and driver qualifications. The legislation is declared an emergency and will take effect immediately upon passage, with a proposed implementation date of April 1, 2025.

Education

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25RS/hb430.html