By West S.B. No. 778
75R5286 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to safety standards for school buses.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 34.002(a) and (b), Education Code, are
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 (a) The agency [General Services Commission], with the
1-7 advice of the Department of Public Safety, shall establish safety
1-8 standards for school buses [motor vehicles] used to transport
1-9 students in accordance with Sections 547.701 and 547.7015,
1-10 Transportation Code [Section 105, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on
1-11 Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)].
1-12 (b) Each school district shall comply with the safety
1-13 standards for school buses [motor vehicles] established by the
1-14 agency [General Services Commission] under Subsection (a).
1-15 SECTION 2. Subchapter L, Chapter 547, Transportation Code,
1-16 is amended by adding Section 547.7015 to read as follows:
1-17 Sec. 547.7015. RULES RELATING TO SCHOOL BUSES. (a) The
1-18 Texas Education Agency, with the advice of the department, shall
1-19 adopt and enforce rules governing the design, color, lighting and
1-20 other equipment, construction, and operation of a school bus for
1-21 the transportation of schoolchildren that is:
1-22 (1) owned and operated by a school district in this
1-23 state; or
1-24 (2) privately owned and operated under a contract with
2-1 a school district in this state.
2-2 (b) In adopting rules under this section, the Texas
2-3 Education Agency shall emphasize:
2-4 (1) safety features; and
2-5 (2) long-range, maintenance-free factors.
2-6 (c) Rules adopted under this section:
2-7 (1) apply to each school district, the officers and
2-8 employees of a district, and each person employed under contract by
2-9 a school district; and
2-10 (2) shall by reference be made a part of any contract
2-11 that is entered into by a school district in this state for the
2-12 transportation of schoolchildren on a privately owned school bus.
2-13 SECTION 3. (a) In addition to the substantive changes in
2-14 law made by this Act, Section 2 of this Act, in adding Section
2-15 547.7015, Transportation Code, conforms to changes in the law made
2-16 by Section 56, Chapter 260, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular
2-17 Session, 1995.
2-18 (b) Section 56, Chapter 260, Acts of the 74th Legislature,
2-19 Regular Session, 1995, is repealed.
2-20 (c) To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over
2-21 another Act of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, relating to
2-22 nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.
2-23 SECTION 4. All rules adopted by the General Services
2-24 Commission establishing safety standards for school buses are
2-25 continued in effect as rules of the Texas Education Agency until
2-26 superseded by a rule of the Texas Education Agency.
2-27 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-6 passage, and it is so enacted.