Senate
Study
Bill
3186
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
KAPUCIAN)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
allowing
pickups
to
be
used
as
school
buses.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
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_____
Section
1.
Section
321.373,
subsection
3,
Code
2018,
is
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
3.
The
rules
prescribed
for
school
buses
shall
include
3
special
rules
for
passenger
automobiles,
and
other
vehicles
4
designed
to
carry
eight
or
fewer
pupils,
when
used
as
school
5
buses.
The
rules
shall
allow
pickups
designed
to
carry
nine
6
passengers
or
less,
including
the
driver,
and
weighing
ten
7
thousand
pounds
or
less,
to
be
used
as
school
buses.
8
EXPLANATION
9
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
10
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
11
Currently,
rules
of
the
department
of
education
permit
12
type
III
vehicles
to
be
used
as
school
buses.
Under
281
IAC
13
44.2(5),
type
III
vehicles
are
not
regular
school
buses
but
14
are
used
to
transport
students
in
a
school-related
context
and
15
may
be
marked
as
a
school
bus.
A
type
III
vehicle
is
a
van
16
or
passenger
car,
including
a
minivan,
sport
utility
vehicle,
17
or
station
wagon.
The
difference
between
a
family
automobile
18
and
an
equivalent
type
III
vehicle
is
not
the
vehicle
itself,
19
but
rather
its
use,
as
type
III
vehicles
are
used
by
schools
20
for
purposes
of
student
transportation.
To
qualify
as
a
type
21
III
vehicle,
the
vehicle
must
carry
a
maximum
of
nine
or
fewer
22
people,
including
the
driver,
and
weigh
10,000
pounds
or
less.
23
Under
281
IAC
44.5(1),
vehicles
classified
as
pickups
are
not
24
allowed
to
be
used
for
student
transportation.
25
This
bill
requires
such
rules
to
allow
pickups
designed
26
to
carry
nine
passengers
or
less,
including
the
driver,
and
27
weighing
ten
thousand
pounds
or
less,
to
be
used
as
school
28
buses.
Under
Code
section
321.1,
a
pickup
is
any
motor
vehicle
29
designed
to
carry
merchandise
or
freight
of
any
kind,
not
to
30
exceed
2,000
pounds.
31
Under
current
law,
any
person
who
operates
or
allows
32
the
operation
of
any
vehicle
as
a
school
bus
which
does
33
not
comply
with
the
requirements
provided
by
law
or
by
the
34
rules
and
regulations
of
the
department
of
education,
or
35
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for
which
there
is
not
a
valid
temporary
certificate
for
1
operation,
is
guilty
of
a
simple
misdemeanor
(Code
section
2
285.14).
The
department
of
education
is
required
to
review
3
all
transportation
arrangements
when
deemed
necessary,
to
4
disapprove
any
arrangements
that
are
not
in
conformity
with
the
5
law
and
established
standards,
and
to
require
the
arrangements
6
to
be
altered
or
changed
so
that
they
do
conform
with
the
law
7
and
established
standards
(Code
section
285.8).
8
Under
current
law,
all
type
III
vehicles
are
prohibited
from
9
carrying
more
passengers
than
there
are
seat
belts
as
installed
10
by
the
manufacturer
(281
IAC
44.5(1)(d)).
In
addition,
trailer
11
hitches
are
allowed
on
type
III
vehicles
in
accordance
with
12
the
manufacturer’s
rated
towing
capacity,
but
students
are
not
13
allowed
to
be
transported
in
the
vehicle
when
the
vehicle
is
14
being
used
to
tow
(281
IAC
44.5(2)(j)).
School
bus
drivers
15
must
be
at
least
18
years
of
age
on
or
before
August
1
preceding
16
the
opening
of
the
school
year
for
which
a
school
bus
driver’s
17
authorization
is
required
(281
IAC
43.14).
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