HSB 107 (LSB 1597YC (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to approved courses of instruction for school bus drivers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.376, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  a.  (1)  A person applying for employment or employed as a school bus driver shall successfully complete a department of education approved course of instruction for school bus drivers before or within the first six months of employment and.
   (2)  The department of education shall accept proof that a person successfully completed entry-level driver training in accordance with section 321.188, subsection 1, paragraph “c”, if such training meets the requirements of 49 C.F.R. pt. 380, Appendix C, and 49 C.F.R. pt. 380, Appendix D, as completion of an approved course of instruction for school bus drivers.
   (3)  The department of education may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to establish requirements for providers of entry-level driver training to comply with this paragraph.
   b.  A person employed as a school bus driver shall successfully complete a department of education approved course of instruction for school bus drivers at least every twenty-four months thereafter.
   c.  If an employee fails to provide an employer with a certificate of completion of the required school bus driver’s course authorized under paragraph “a”, the driver’s employer shall report the failure to the department of education and the employee’s authorization to operate a school bus shall be revoked. The department of education shall send notice of the revocation to both the employee and the employer. A person whose school bus authorization has been revoked under this section shall not be issued another authorization until certification of the completion of an approved school bus driver’s course in accordance with paragraph “a” is received by the department of education.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, a person applying for employment or employed as a school bus driver must successfully complete a course of instruction for school bus drivers approved by the department of education (DOE). The DOE establishes rules and requirements for such instruction courses. The course must be completed before or within the first six months of the person’s employment and at least every 24 months thereafter.
   Beginning February 7, 2022, the federal motor carrier safety administration requires persons seeking a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time, persons seeking to upgrade certain existing CDLs, and persons seeking to obtain a school bus, passenger, or hazardous materials endorsement to complete entry-level driver training (ELDT).
   This bill requires DOE to accept proof that a person successfully completed ELDT as completion of an approved course of instruction for school bus drivers so long as that ELDT contains passenger endorsement training curriculum and school bus endorsement training curriculum.
   The bill does not change the requirement for a person employed as a school bus driver to successfully complete a DOE approved course of instruction for school bus drivers at least every 24 months.
   The bill makes corresponding and organizational changes to Code section 321.276(3).