| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to requiring school districts to adopt a policy regarding |
|
|
the idling of the engine of a school bus. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Section 34.0031 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 34.0031. BUS IDLING POLICY. (a) In this section, |
|
|
"idling" means allowing an engine to run while the motor vehicle is |
|
|
not engaged in forward or reverse motion. |
|
|
(b) The board of trustees of each school district shall |
|
|
adopt a policy that minimizes the amount of time that drivers of |
|
|
buses operated or contracted for operation by the district spend |
|
|
idling the bus engine. The policy shall, to the extent practicable: |
|
|
(1) require a bus to be engaged in forward or reverse |
|
|
motion when the bus engine is running; |
|
|
(2) require that a bus driver promptly turn off the bus |
|
|
engine on arrival at a campus loading or unloading area or bus |
|
|
station, depot, or terminal located on or within one-half mile of a |
|
|
district campus; |
|
|
(3) require that, before departing a campus loading or |
|
|
unloading area or bus station, depot, or terminal located on or |
|
|
within one-half mile of a district campus, the bus driver not start |
|
|
the bus engine until the bus is prepared to engage in motion; |
|
|
(4) require a bus driver to limit idling time before |
|
|
departure to the time recommended by the bus manufacturer to heat or |
|
|
cool the bus as necessary; |
|
|
(5) minimize the time students spend on a bus |
|
|
traveling to and from school; and |
|
|
(6) require a sign with the words "No Idling" to be |
|
|
posted on each district campus in each area where students are |
|
|
regularly dropped off or picked up. |
|
|
(c) To maximize the effectiveness of a policy adopted under |
|
|
Subsection (b), a school district may: |
|
|
(1) review any federal, state, or local regulations |
|
|
relating to engine idling to ensure the district's policy is |
|
|
consistent with those regulations; |
|
|
(2) offer training on the policy for bus drivers |
|
|
employed by the district; |
|
|
(3) perform random checks to ensure bus drivers are |
|
|
complying with the policy at: |
|
|
(A) bus stations, depots, and terminals; |
|
|
(B) campus loading or unloading areas; and |
|
|
(C) other areas where idling may occur; |
|
|
(4) use technology designed to reduce idling to |
|
|
optimize fuel economy, equipment operation, and student comfort; |
|
|
(5) develop strategies to recognize bus drivers who |
|
|
successfully reduce idling of the bus engine; |
|
|
(6) if the school district contracts with a mass |
|
|
transit authority, commercial transportation company, or juvenile |
|
|
board for any part of the district's public school transportation, |
|
|
coordinate with the authority, company, or board to ensure |
|
|
compliance with the policy; |
|
|
(7) develop and implement educational programs for |
|
|
students on strategies for preventing and reversing air pollution, |
|
|
including methods to reduce engine idling; |
|
|
(8) encourage local governmental entities to adopt |
|
|
idling reduction plans and programs; and |
|
|
(9) publicize the success of the district's policy and |
|
|
any additional district idling reduction programs. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
|
|
school year. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |