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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to safety standards for private passenger van services |
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that transport students to and from public primary and secondary |
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schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 34.0025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 34.0025. SAFETY STANDARDS FOR PRIVATE PASSENGER VAN |
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SERVICES. (a) The Department of Public Safety, with the advice of |
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the agency, shall: |
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(1) establish safety standards for private passenger |
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van services that transport students to and from school for |
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compensation; and |
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(2) develop an annual two-hour training course on |
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transportation safety for operators and employees of a private |
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passenger van service described by Subdivision (1). |
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(b) An operator of a private passenger van service described |
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by Subsection (a)(1) may not transport students to and from school |
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unless: |
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(1) the operator is registered with the secretary of |
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state to transact business in this state; |
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(2) the operator maintains commercial insurance; |
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(3) the operator meets or exceeds the safety standards |
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established under Subsection (a); and |
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(4) the operator and each employee of the operator who |
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transports students for the private passenger van service complete |
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the annual training course on transportation safety developed under |
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Subsection (a). |
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(c) A school district shall provide to the parent of each |
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district student at the beginning of each school year or on |
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enrollment of the student after the beginning of a school year |
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written notice stating that the district may not release a student |
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to an operator of a private passenger van service described by |
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Subsection (a)(1) unless the district receives a signed |
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authorization letter from the parent that includes: |
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(1) the name of the student; |
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(2) the name and contact information of the operator; |
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and |
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(3) an acknowledgement from the operator that the |
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operator is in compliance with the requirements of Subsection (b). |
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(d) The Department of Public Safety and the agency shall |
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jointly adopt rules to administer this section, including rules |
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defining "private passenger van service" for purposes of this |
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section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2024-2025 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |