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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to school bus safety; providing a short

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title; creating s. 1006.273, F.S.; providing for district

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school boards to adopt policies for private sponsorship of

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described seat belt assemblies or other safety equipment

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on school buses; providing for a sponsorship fee;

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providing for use of moneys collected; providing for

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signage on the exterior of the school bus acknowledging

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sponsorship; providing for design and size of the signage

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by local school board policy; limiting the liability of

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sponsors; amending s. 1006.25, F.S.; requiring sponsor

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signs to be covered when school buses are transporting

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passengers who are not school students; revising the

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requirement that students use the crash protection system

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on a school bus; amending s. 1006.261, F.S.; requiring

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sponsor signs to be covered when school buses are used for

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nonschool purposes; providing an effective date.

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

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     Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Diana Kautz

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Student Safety Sponsors Act."

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     Section 2.  Section 1006.273, Florida Statutes, is created

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to read:

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     1006.273 Crash protection systems or other safety

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equipment; sponsorship.--A district school board may adopt

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policies providing for private sponsorship of the installation of

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crash protection equipment or other safety equipment on school

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buses pursuant to the provisions of this section.

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     (1)(a) Any person or business entity may sponsor the

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installation of seat belt assemblies or other safety equipment on

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a school bus by paying a sponsorship fee as prescribed by local

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school board policy. Proceeds from the collection of the fee

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shall be distributed as follows:

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     1. Up to 5 percent may be used to pay the cost of an

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advertising agent involved with the transaction.

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     2. Up to 45 percent shall be used to pay for the cost of

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the seat belt assemblies or other safety equipment and the cost

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of installation.

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     3. The remaining funds shall be remitted to the state for

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deposit into the General Revenue Fund to be used for

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transportation purposes.

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     (b) There may be up to four business entity sponsors per

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school bus. Sponsorships or cosponsorships by individuals shall

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be as provided by district school board policy.

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     (2)(a) Upon request by the sponsor, the district school

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board shall place signage on the exterior rear, lower-quarter

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panels of the school bus acknowledging the sponsor and, if the

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sponsor is a business entity, bearing the logo of the business

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entity. However, no sponsor shall be required to have his or her

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name or the name of the business entity placed on the school bus.

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     (b) The acknowledgment shall bear the wording "Safety

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equipment sponsored by" followed by the name of the sponsor.

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     (c) The design and size of the signage shall be as

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prescribed by local school board policy.

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     (3) If sponsorship is applied to seat belt assembly, the

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school bus must be equipped with a seat belt assembly that meets

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the requirements for type 2 seat belt assemblies established

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under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209, 49 C.F.R. s.

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571.209, or with any other pelvic and upper torso restraint

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system approved by the Federal Government in a number sufficient

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to allow each student who is being transported to use a separate

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pelvic and upper torso restraint system.

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     (4) Sponsorship under this section shall not impose or

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imply any duty or responsibility on the sponsor for installation

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or use of any seat belt assembly or other safety equipment on any

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school bus, and, in any action relating to the installation, use,

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disuse, or misuse of any seat belt assembly or other safety

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equipment on a school bus, no liability shall accrue to any

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person or business entity because that person or entity is a

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sponsor under this section.

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     Section 3.  Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1006.25,

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Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

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     1006.25  School buses.--School buses shall be defined and

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meet specifications as follows:

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     (3)  STANDARDS FOR LEASED VEHICLES.--A motor vehicle owned

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and operated by a county or municipal transit authority that is

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leased by the district school board for transportation of public

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school students must meet such standards as the State Board of

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Education establishes by rule. A school bus authorized by a

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district school board to carry passengers other than school

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students must have the words "School Bus" and any other signs and

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insignia that mark or designate it as a school bus and any sign

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of sponsorship under s. 1006.273 covered, removed, or otherwise

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concealed while such passengers are being transported.

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     (4)  OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEMS.--Students may be

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transported only in designated seating positions, except as

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provided in s. 1006.22(12), and must use the occupant crash

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protection system installed in the vehicle provided by the

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manufacturer, which system must comply with the requirements of

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49 C.F.R. part 571 or with specifications of the State Board of

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Education.

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     Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 1006.261, Florida

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1006.261  Use of school buses for public purposes.--

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     (3)  When the buses are used for nonschool purposes other

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than the transportation of the transportation disadvantaged, the

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flashing red lights and white strobe lights shall not be used,

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and the "School Bus" inscriptions on the front and rear of the

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buses and any sign of sponsorship under s. 1006.273 shall be

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covered or concealed.

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     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.