House Bill hb0611

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 611

        By Representative Slosberg






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to bus drivers; amending s.

  3         316.615, F.S.; requiring school districts to

  4         check the driving records of all bus drivers

  5         for suspended or revoked drivers' licenses;

  6         providing penalties; amending s. 316.70, F.S.;

  7         requiring the driving records of nonpublic

  8         sector bus drivers to be checked for suspended

  9         or revoked licenses; providing penalties;

10         providing an effective date.

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12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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14         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 316.615, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         316.615  School buses; physical requirements of

17  drivers.--

18         (3)(a)  A person may not operate or cause to be

19  operated a motor vehicle covered by subsection (1) or

20  subsection (2) when transporting school children unless the

21  operator has met the physical examination requirements

22  established by law and by rule adopted by the Commissioner of

23  Education.  The operator of such a motor vehicle shall pass an

24  annual physical examination and have posted in the vehicle a

25  certificate to drive the vehicle.

26         (b)  Each school district shall check the driving

27  records of all school bus drivers at least once each year to

28  ascertain whether the driver has a suspended or revoked

29  drivers' license. The Commissioner of Education may assess a

30  civil penalty of up to $5,000 with respect to each failure of

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 611

    797-115A-02






  1  a school district to comply with the provisions of this

  2  subsection.

  3         Section 2.  Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (1) of

  4  section 316.70, Florida Statutes, to read:

  5         316.70  Nonpublic sector buses; safety rules.--

  6         (1)  The Department of Transportation shall establish

  7  and revise standards to assure the safe operation of nonpublic

  8  sector buses, as defined in s. 316.003(78), which standards

  9  shall be those contained in 49 C.F.R. parts 382, 385, and

10  390-397 and which shall be directed towards assuring that:

11         (d)  The driving records of drivers of nonpublic sector

12  buses are checked by their employers at least once each year

13  to ascertain whether the driver has a suspended or revoked

14  drivers' license.

15         (2)  The Department of Transportation may assess a

16  civil penalty of up to $5,000 per infraction against any

17  person who violates any provision of this section or who

18  violates any rule or order of the department.

19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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22                          HOUSE SUMMARY

23
      Requires school districts with respect to school bus
24    drivers and employers with respect to nonpublic sector
      bus drivers to check the driving records of all bus
25    drivers once each year to ascertain whether the driver
      has a suspended or revoked license. Provides penalties.
26    See bill for details.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.