Senate Bill S7278

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S7278

SPONSOR: RITCHIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring records of
all traffic violations by bus drivers to be provided to parents and
guardians upon request

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To make available to parents and guardians, important information
regarding those who are driving their children to school each day.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill adds a new section 3650-d to the education law.

Section 2 sets the effective date - immediately.

 
              

JUSTIFICATION:

The safety of the thousands of children who ride a school bus to school
every day is a critical concern. According to the National Highway Traf-
fic Safety Administration, nationwide since 1986, 283 school-aged pedes-
trians have died in school bus-related crashes.  Nearly, two-thirds
763%) were killed by school buses, 5% by vehicles functioning as school
buses, and 33% by other vehicles involved in crashes. One half of all
school-age pedestrians killed in school bus-related crashes were between
the ages of five and seven.

While New York State has an excellent school bus safety record and
significant safety measures have been enacted, it is imperative that we
give families every tool available so that they can be assured that the
nearly 2.3 million students who are transported by school bus drivers
who log over 400 million miles each year, are safe.

While most drivers do an excellent job under often difficult situations,
parents and guardians deserve to have access to the information neces-
sary to confirm that their young family members are being transported by
safe and responsible drivers.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately