By Salinas H.B. No. 1311
77R4084 CAS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to air-conditioning of certain school buses.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 547.701, Transportation Code, is amended
1-5 by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
1-6 follows:
1-7 (a) A school bus shall be equipped with:
1-8 (1) a convex mirror or other device that reflects to
1-9 the school bus operator a clear view of the area immediately in
1-10 front of the vehicle that would otherwise be hidden from view;
1-11 [and]
1-12 (2) signal lamps that:
1-13 (A) are mounted as high and as widely spaced
1-14 laterally as practicable;
1-15 (B) display four alternately flashing red
1-16 lights, two located on the front at the same level and two located
1-17 on the rear at the same level; and
1-18 (C) emit a light visible at a distance of 500
1-19 feet in normal sunlight; and
1-20 (3) air-conditioning if a school district purchases
1-21 the school bus on or after September 1, 2001.
1-22 (e) From state money appropriated for that purpose, for each
1-23 school bus a school district purchases on or after September 1,
1-24 2001, the General Services Commission shall reimburse the district
2-1 for the cost of equipping the school bus with air-conditioning as
2-2 required under Subsection (a)(3). The General Services Commission
2-3 shall reimburse the district in an amount equal to the difference
2-4 between the cost of the school bus equipped with air-conditioning
2-5 and the cost of that school bus without air-conditioning equipment.
2-6 The General Services Commission may adopt rules as necessary to
2-7 implement this subsection.
2-8 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.