BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 635

81R3142 JRJ-D                                                                                                                 By: Seliger

Transportation & Homeland Security

2/27/2009

As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Current state law mandates that two school bus emergency evacuation training sessions be held each academic year.  The current law also mandates that a portion of the training occur on a school bus and last for at least one hour.  These requirements place an undue burden on many school districts.  The mandates require students to lose at least one hour of class time twice each academic year and impose unnecessary costs on school districts.

As proposed, S.B. 635 changes the requirement to one training session per year, and requires the training session to be conducted via video, without a time limit.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 34.0021(b), Education Code, to require a school district to conduct the school bus emergency evacuation training at least once, rather than twice, each school year and require students and teachers to view a video recording showing emergency school bus evacuation procedures as part of the training session.  Deletes existing text relating to training session requirements.

SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2009.