HB434 • 2026

SCHOOLS/BUS OPERATORS: Grants certain powers, duties, and responsibilities relative to a school bus operator's probationary term of employment to the superintendent instead of the school board

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Roger Wilder III
Last action: 2026-05-27
Official status: Sent to Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about what happens after the probationary period ends or how decisions are made during this period.

School Bus Operators' Probationary Term

This bill changes who can dismiss or fire new school bus drivers during their probation period, giving this power to the superintendent instead of the school board.

What This Bill Does

Changes the rules about dismissing or firing new school bus operators from three years after they start working to be decided by the superintendent rather than the school board.
Requires the superintendent to give a written reason for dismissal and allow the operator seven days to respond in writing or in person.

Who It Names or Affects

School superintendents
School boards
New school bus operators

Terms To Know

Probationary term: A period of time when a new employee is tested to see if they are fit for the job.
Superintendent: The person in charge of managing and supervising all operations at a school or school district.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens after the probationary period ends.
Does not explain how the superintendent will make decisions about dismissing bus operators during probation.

Bill History

2026-05-27 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-26 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-26 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-26 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-25 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-20 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-19 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-18 S
Reported favorably.
2026-03-31 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-03-30 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-30 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-26 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.
2026-03-25 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-24 H
Reported favorably (11-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-25 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-25 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS/BUS OPERATORS: Grants certain powers, duties, and responsibilities relative to a school bus operator's probationary term of employment to the superintendent instead of the school board

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 434
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILDER
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:492(A)(introductory paragraph), relative to school bus
3 operators; to provide for the probationary term of employment for school bus
4 operators; to provide for the authority of the superintendent relative to their
5 discharge or dismissal; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:492(A)(introductory paragraph) is hereby amended and reenacted
8 to read as follows:
9 §492. Probation and tenure of bus operators
10 A. Each school bus operator shall serve a probationary term of three years
11 reckoned from the date of his first employment in the city, parish, or other local
12 public school system in which the operator is serving his probation. During the
13 probationary term, the superintendent city, parish, or other local public school board
14 may dismiss or discharge any operator upon the written recommendation of the local
15 superintendent of schools accompanied by valid reasons therefor providing the
16 operator with written reasons therefor and providing the operator with the
17 opportunity to respond. The operator shall have seven calendar days from such
18 written notice to respond, in person or in writing, and such response shall be included
19 in the operator's personnel file. A school board shall immediately dismiss or
20 discharge an operator who is convicted of or has pled nolo contendere to a violation
21 of a parish or municipal ordinance that prohibits operating a vehicle while
22 intoxicated or any of the following offenses relative to operating a vehicle while
23 intoxicated, regardless of whether the violation occurred while the operator was
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 434 ENROLLED
1 performing an official duty or responsibility as a school bus operator at the time of
2 the offense:
3 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.