1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; requiring school bus 
  1.3             to pull off onto shoulder of road to load and unload 
  1.4             students where designated by school district; 
  1.5             requiring use of stop signal arm and flashing red 
  1.6             signals when loading and unloading from the shoulder; 
  1.7             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.443, 
  1.8             subdivision 2. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.443, 
  1.11  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [USE OF STOP SIGNAL ARM; BUS STOPS.] (a) The stop 
  1.13  signal arm of a school bus must be used in conjunction with the 
  1.14  flashing red signals only when the school bus is stopped on a 
  1.15  street or highway, or designated shoulder of a street or 
  1.16  highway, to load or unload school children. 
  1.17     (b) A local authority, including the governing body of an 
  1.18  Indian tribe, may by ordinance require that a school bus 
  1.19  activate the stop signal arm and flashing red signals while 
  1.20  stopped to unload school children at a location other than a 
  1.21  location on a street or highway or designated shoulder of a 
  1.22  street or highway.  The ordinance must designate each location 
  1.23  where the requirement is imposed.  The requirement is effective 
  1.24  only if the local authority has erected signs at or near the 
  1.25  location to provide adequate notice that other vehicles are 
  1.26  required to obey section 169.444, subdivision 1, when those 
  1.27  signals are activated. 
  2.1      (c) At the request of a parent of a student and when 
  2.2   physically safe and possible to do so, a school district is 
  2.3   authorized to and shall require the driver of a school bus to 
  2.4   pull off the street or highway as completely as possible onto 
  2.5   the shoulder, if any, before loading or unloading passengers at 
  2.6   the location where the student gets on or off the school bus, as 
  2.7   designated by the school district.  Each designation must be in 
  2.8   writing, provide for a clear description or map of the 
  2.9   designated shoulder stop location, and given to each affected 
  2.10  school bus driver.