1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to pupil transportation; creating an Office of Pupil Transportation Safety; 
1.3 	prescribing staffing and duties; requiring report; appropriating money; amending 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 169.435.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 169.435, is amended to read:
1.7 	169.435 STATE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF 
1.8 	PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Responsibility; Department of Public Safety. The Department of 
1.10 	Public Safety has the primary responsibility for school transportation safety. The Office of 
1.11 	Pupil Transportation Safety is created as a section under the Division of State Patrol. The 
1.12 	commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall serve as statedesignate a director of 
1.13 	pupil transportation according to subdivision 3.
1.14 		Subd. 3.Pupil transportation safety director. (a) The commissioner of public 
1.15 	safety or the commissioner's designee shall serve as pupil transportation safety director.
1.16 	(b) The duties of the pupil transportation safety director shall include:
1.17 	(1) overseeing all department activities related to school bus safety;
1.18 	(2) assisting in the development, interpretation, and implementation of laws 
1.19 	and policies relating to school bus safety, in consultation with a stakeholder group 
1.20 	consisting of, but not limited to, representatives of the school boards association, school 
1.21 	superintendents, private bus contractors, directors of transportation, school bus employees 
1.22 	or their exclusive bargaining representatives, and parent organizations;
1.23 	(3) supervising preparation of the School Bus Inspection Manual; and
2.1 	(4) in conjunction with the Department of Education and the stakeholder group 
2.2 	described in clause (2), assisting school districts in developing and implementing 
2.3 	comprehensive transportation policies. and establishing best practices for private 
2.4 	contracts;
2.5 	(5) developing and maintaining a consistent record-keeping system to document 
2.6 	school bus inspections, out-of-service school transportation vehicles, driver turnover 
2.7 	rate, and driver files; and
2.8 	(6) conducting periodic audits of selected school districts to determine compliance 
2.9 	with federal law and state statute concerning: (i) school bus driver requirements and 
2.10 	driver employee background and license checks, including controlled substance and 
2.11 	alcohol testing requirements; and (ii) duty to report violations to the commissioner of 
2.12 	public safety. Audit results must be documented and retained by the Office of Pupil 
2.13 	Transportation Safety, and any statutory violations documented in the audit must be 
2.14 	reported to the commissioners of public safety and education.
2.15 		Subd. 4.Staff. In addition to the pupil transportation safety director, who must be a 
2.16 	state trooper, the Office of Pupil Transportation Safety must be staffed by a minimum of:
2.17 	(1) three state troopers, each of whom must be assigned to the metropolitan area, 
2.18 	northern Minnesota, or southern Minnesota; and
2.19 	(2) 15 school bus vehicle inspectors, one of whom must be designated chief 
2.20 	inspector. The school bus vehicle inspectors shall perform annual and spot inspections 
2.21 	of school buses and Head Start buses as required by law.

2.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.23 	Sec. 2. REPORT ON OFFICE OF PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.
 2.24 	By January 15, 2009, the commissioner of public safety and the director of pupil 
2.25 	transportation safety must report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the 
2.26 	senate and house of representatives committees with jurisdiction over transportation 
2.27 	and education policy and finance concerning the Office of Pupil Transportation Safety, 
2.28 	including adequacy of funding, staffing levels, available technology to carry out the 
2.29 	requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 169.435, and any recommended legislation to 
2.30 	improve the ability of the pupil transportation safety director to perform statutory duties.

2.31 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.32 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
 3.1 	$575,000 is appropriated from the trunk highway fund to the commissioner of public 
3.2 	safety in fiscal year 2009 to implement and operate the Office of Pupil Transportation 
3.3 	Safety. This appropriation may not be used to fund additional trooper positions beyond the 
3.4 	authorization in Laws 2008, chapter 152, article 1, section 4.

3.5 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.