Minnesota Session Laws - 2009, Regular Session

CHAPTER 24--S.F.No. 33

An act

relating to pupil transportation; modifying qualifications for type III school bus drivers;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 171.02, subdivision 2b.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 171.02, subdivision 2b, is amended to read:

Subd. 2b.

Exception for type III vehicle drivers.

(a) Notwithstanding subdivision 2, deleted text begin paragraph (c), deleted text end the holder of a class new text begin A, B, C, or new text end D driver's license, without a school bus endorsement, may operate a type III vehicle described in section 169.011, subdivision 71, clause (5), under the conditions in paragraphs (b) through deleted text begin (n) deleted text end new text begin (o) new text end .

(b) The operator is an employee of the entity that owns, leases, or contracts for the school bus.

(c) The operator's employer has adopted and implemented a policy that provides for annual training and certification of the operator in:

(1) safe operation of a type III vehicle;

(2) understanding student behavior, including issues relating to students with disabilities;

(3) encouraging orderly conduct of students on the bus and handling incidents of misconduct appropriately;

(4) knowing and understanding relevant laws, rules of the road, and local school bus safety policies;

(5) handling emergency situations;

(6) proper use of seat belts and child safety restraints;

(7) performance of pretrip vehicle inspections; deleted text begin and deleted text end

(8) safe loading and unloading of students, including, but not limited to:

(i) utilizing a safe location for loading and unloading students at the curb, on the nontraffic side of the roadway, or at off-street loading areas, driveways, yards, and other areas to enable the student to avoid hazardous conditions;

(ii) refraining from loading and unloading students in a vehicular traffic lane, on the shoulder, in a designated turn lane, or a lane adjacent to a designated turn lane;

(iii) avoiding a loading or unloading location that would require a pupil to cross a road, or ensuring that the driver or an aide personally escort the pupil across the road if it is not reasonably feasible to avoid such a location; and

(iv) placing the type III vehicle in "park" during loading and unloading new text begin ; and new text end

new text begin (9) compliance with paragraph (k), concerning reporting certain convictions to the employer within ten days of the date of conviction new text end .

(d) A background check or background investigation of the operator has been conducted that meets the requirements under section 122A.18, subdivision 8, or 123B.03 for school district employees; section 144.057 or chapter 245C for day care employees; or section 171.321, subdivision 3, for all other persons operating a type A or type III vehicle under this subdivision.

(e) Operators shall submit to a physical examination as required by section 171.321, subdivision 2.

(f) The operator's employer deleted text begin has adopted and implemented a policy that provides for mandatory deleted text end new text begin requires preemployment new text end drug and alcohol testing of applicants for operator positions deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin . new text end Current operators deleted text begin , in accordance deleted text end new text begin must comply new text end with new text begin the employer's policy under new text end section 181.951, subdivisions 2, 4, and 5.

(g) The operator's driver's license is verified annually by the entity that owns, leases, or contracts for the school bus.

(h) A person who sustains a conviction, as defined under section 609.02, of violating section 169A.25, 169A.26, 169A.27, or 169A.31, or whose driver's license is revoked under sections 169A.50 to 169A.53 of the implied consent law, or who is convicted of new text begin violating new text end or deleted text begin has their deleted text end new text begin whose new text end driver's license new text begin is new text end revoked under a similar statute or ordinance of another state, is precluded from operating a type III vehicle for five years from the date of conviction.

(i) A person who has ever been convicted of a disqualifying offense as defined in section 171.3215, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), may not operate a type III vehicle under this subdivision.

(j) A person who sustains a conviction, as defined under section 609.02, of a moving offense in violation of chapter 169 within three years of the first of three other moving offenses is precluded from operating a type III vehicle for one year from the date of the last conviction.

(k) An operator who sustains a conviction as described in paragraph (h), (i), or (j) while employed by the entity that owns, leases, or contracts for the school bus, shall report the conviction to the employer within ten days of the date of the conviction.

(l) Students riding the type III vehicle must have training required under section 123B.90, subdivision 2.

(m) Documentation of meeting the requirements listed in this subdivision must be maintained under separate file at the business location for each type III vehicle operator. The business manager, school board, governing body of a nonpublic school, or any other entity that owns, leases, or contracts for the type III vehicle operating under this subdivision is responsible for maintaining these files for inspection.

(n) The type III vehicle must bear a current certificate of inspection issued under section 169.451.

(o) deleted text begin An operator employed by a school or school district, whose normal duties do not include operating a type III vehicle, who holds a class D driver's license without a school bus endorsement, may operate a type III vehicle and is exempt from paragraphs (d), (e), (f), (g), and (k) deleted text end new text begin An employee of a school or of a school district, who is not employed for the sole purpose of operating a type III vehicle, is exempt from paragraphs (e) and (f) new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end

Presented to the governor April 20, 2009

Signed by the governor April 23, 2009, 1:10 p.m.