Read the full stored bill text
S2456 1R FISCAL ESTIMATE
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[First Reprint]
SENATE, No. 2456
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
DATED: JULY 6, 2026
SUMMARY
Synopsis:
Requires school bus drivers and school bus aides to call
911 emergency line in potential life-threatening emergencies; requires
certain school buses transporting students with disabilities to be equipped
with certain safety features.
Type of Impact:
Annual State expenditure and revenue increases; annual
local expenditure and revenue increases.
Agencies Affected:
Department of Education; New Jersey Motor Vehicle
Commission; local school districts.
Office of
Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact
Annual�
State Expenditure Increase
Indeterminate
State Revenue Increase
Indeterminate
Local Expenditure Increase
Indeterminate
Local Revenue Increase
Indeterminate
�
The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the
bill�s primary fiscal impact is to increase State costs associated with the New
Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission providing funds to school districts and school
bus contractors for the purchase and installation of school bus equipment
required under the bill.� The bill includes an open-ended appropriation
providing amounts as needed for the bill�s purposes.
�
Local school district expenditures will increase as a result of
the bill, but those cost increases will be covered by State funds provided by
the commission, as authorized by the bill.
�
The Department of Education may experience an indeterminate
increase in administrative costs to implement various training requirements for
school bus drivers and school bus aides, maintain records related to certain
training requirements and 911 calls made by school bus drivers and school bus
aides, and develop a process for the investigation of complaints from the
parents or guardians of students with disabilities who believe that school bus drivers
and school bus aides did not comply with proper procedures for calling 911 in
the event of a potential life-threatening emergency on a school bus.
�
The bill may also result in an indeterminate increase in costs to
the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to the extent that additional resources
are needed to inspect certain school buses for proper installation of the
equipment required by the bill.� Any costs, however, will at least be partially
offset by school bus inspections fees that are currently collected by the
commission.
�
Finally, the bill may result in an indeterminate, likely minor
revenue gain for the State due to provisions of the bill that levy certain
fines on boards of education and school bus contractors and certain civil
penalties on school bus drivers and school bus aides.
BILL DESCRIPTION
����� This bill includes several provisions related to
school bus safety.
����� Among several other provisions, the bill requires a
board of education, or a school bus contractor as applicable, to ensure that
certain training related to school bus safety is provided to each school bus driver
and school bus aide who works on a school bus.� Pursuant to current law, these
training programs are required to include student management and discipline,
school bus accident and emergency procedures, emergency exit drills, loading
and unloading procedures, loading zone safety, inspecting the school vehicle
for students left on board, and the use of a student�s education records.� The
bill expands these programs to cover understanding behaviors and other signs
that may indicate circumstances in which a potential life-threatening emergency
is occurring on a school bus.� A board of education or school bus contractor
that does not properly administer these training programs is to be subject to
applicable penalties established under current law.
����� The bill provides that the parent or guardian of a
student who believes that a school bus driver or school bus aide did not
properly call the 911 emergency telephone service in the event of a potential
life-threatening emergency may file a complaint with the Department of
Education.� A school bus driver or school bus aide who is accused of not
properly calling the 911 emergency telephone service in the event of a
potential life-threatening emergency is required to be afforded the opportunity
for a hearing, and are entitled to representation, including by a union
representative or legal counsel provided by a union, throughout the course of
any investigation conducted or hearing held.� A school bus driver or school bus
aide who is found by the department to have violated the provisions concerning
911 emergency notification and follow-up reporting requirements is to be liable
for certain civil penalties.
����� The bill also requires a school bus that transports
one or more students with disabilities with special transportation requirements
to be equipped with: (1) a video camera on the interior of the school bus to
monitor student safety while the students are being transported; (2) a global
positioning system that provides information about the location and speed of
each school bus in real time; and (3) two-way communications equipment, which
may include a cellular or other wireless telephone.� The bill permits, subject
to the availability of funds, a board of education and a contractor providing
pupil transportation services under contract with a board of education to apply
to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for funds to purchase and install
the equipment.� The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the commission
such sums as are necessary to provide these funds.
����� The bill requires each in-terminal school bus
inspection conducted by the commission to provide for the inspection of the
equipment required to be installed on school buses pursuant to the bill.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
����� None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
����� The OLS finds that the provisions of this bill would
have varying fiscal impacts, as described in further detail below.
School District Cost Increases to Install Certain
Equipment on School Buses
����� The OLS concludes that the bill�s primary fiscal
impact is to increase State costs associated with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle
Commission providing funds to school districts and school bus contractors for
the purchase and installation of school bus equipment required under the bill.�
The bill includes an open-ended appropriation providing amounts as needed for
the bill�s purposes.� The OLS does not have access to information concerning
the number of qualifying school buses, and therefore cannot definitively
estimate the costs of purchasing and installing interior video cameras, global
positioning systems, and two-way communications equipment on school buses
subject to the provisions of the bill.� However, the OLS notes that a
reasonable range of costs for the purchase and installation of the required
equipment on one school bus subject to the provisions of the bill is between
$1,100 and $3,900.� The OLS also notes that a fiscal estimate for a
substantially similar bill in a previous legislative session found that total
costs to install the same equipment required under this bill for all school
buses transporting one or more students with disabilities could be as high as
$51.9 million.� That bill, however, applied to school buses transporting all
students with disabilities; whereas, this bill applies to school buses
transporting students with disabilities who have special transportation
requirements.
Potential Cost Increase to the Department of Education
����� The bill includes various requirements on the
Department of Education that may result in increased costs to the department to
the extent that the requirements necessitate additional staff resources.� The
OLS, however, has no insights into whether the department would rely on
existing staff, hire additional staff, or engage a third-party vendor in order
to effectuate the requirements.� Pursuant to the bill, the department is
responsible for: updating a training program established under current law
concerning proper procedures for interacting with students with disabilities;
and establishing procedures to take in and investigate complaints from parents
and guardians of students with disabilities who believe that a school bus
driver or school bus aide did not follow proper procedures in calling 911 in
the event of a potential life-threatening injury.
Potential Cost Increase to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle
Commission
����� The commission may experience cost increases stemming
from the bill�s requirement to include in the in-terminal school bus inspection
program the inspection of the equipment required to be installed on school
buses under the bill.� Any cost increases would only occur to the extent that
additional resources are needed for the inspections required by the bill.�
Potential costs to the commission, however, will at least be partially offset
by school bus inspections fees that are currently collected by the commission.�
State law establishes $25 fees for school bus inspections and reinspections.�
According to information in the FY 2027 Governor�s Budget, a total of 71,469
school bus inspections and reinspections were completed in FY 2025.
State Revenue Increases
����� Finally, the bill may result in indeterminate, likely
minor revenue gains for the State due to provisions of the bill that levy
certain fines on boards of education and school bus contractors and certain
civil penalties on school bus drivers and school bus aides.� The bill amends
current law establishing fines on boards of education and contractors for
approving or assigning unauthorized individuals as bus drivers to include
school bus aides.� Under law, fines are: not more than $5,000 for each driver unlawfully
approved or assigned for the first offense; not more than $10,000 for each
driver unlawfully approved or assigned for the second offense; and not more
than $15,000 for each driver unlawfully approved or assigned for a third and
each subsequent offense.� The bill also establishes new civil penalties on
school bus drivers and school bus aides who are found to have violated the
provisions of the bill related to calling 911 in the event of a potential
life-threatening emergency.� The penalties are $2,500 for the first offense,
$5,000 for the second offense, and $10,000 for the third and each subsequent
offense.
Section:
Education
Analyst:
Abigail Chambers
Senior Fiscal Analyst
Approved:
Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the
Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to
respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980,
c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).