Expands duties of Office of School Bus Safety.

S3430

SENATE, No. 3430

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 9, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands duties of Office of School Bus Safety.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning school bus safety and amending
P.L.2021, c.471.

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.2021,
c.471 (C.18A:39-35) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� a.� The duties of the
Office of School Bus Safety shall include, but
[
need
]

shall
not be limited to,
the following:

���� (1)�� reviewing a school bus
driver's information collected by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to
section 6 of P.L.1989, c.104 (C.18A:39-19.1);

���� (2)�� obtaining statements of
assurance from school districts or contractors that all training certifications
for school bus drivers from employers pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of
P.L.2015, c.123 (C.18A:39-19.3) are complete;

���� (3)�� assisting in the
development of a student information card pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2015,
c.123 (18A:39-19.4);

���� (4)�� reviewing statements
provided by a board of education or contractor that verify a school bus driver,
whose bus driver's license is suspended or revoked, no longer operates a school
bus for the board or contractor pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2018, c.152 (C.18A:39-19.6);

���� (5)�� coordinating with the
New
Jersey
Motor Vehicle Commission and the Department of Law and Public Safety
on the sharing of information
, records, and data
regarding matters
related to school bus safety.� The
[
Motor
Vehicle Commission
]

commission
and the
[
Department
of Law and Public Safety
]

department
shall, pursuant to a valid Memorandum of Understanding and to
the extent permitted by law, share information
, records, and data
with
the office to assist in effectuating the provisions of
[
this act
]

P.L.2021,
c.471 (C.18A:39-34 et seq.)
;

���� (6)�� maintain a list of all
persons barred from bidding on any pupil transportation contract� pursuant to
section 3 of P.L.2021, c.307 (C.18A:39-11.5);

���� (7)�� render a decision as to
whether a person shall be debarred from bidding on a pupil transportation
contract pursuant to the provisions of
section 3 of
P.L.2021, c.307
(C.18A:39-11.5);

���� (8)�� collecting and reviewing
the name, address, and contact information of school bus contractors and the
owners of school bus contracting companies;

���� (9)�� determining if a board
of education or contractor has failed to comply with the provisions of
N.J.S.18A:39-20;

���� (10)� reviewing
[
and
recommending changes to the commissioner of
]

the
laws,
rules
,
and regulations governing school bus safety
,
and recommending legislative and executive action to the Legislature and the
commissioner
;
[
and
]

���� (11)
identifying the status
of implementation of past recommendations for additional action or oversight
made by any entity formed pursuant to law or executive action to review and improve
school bus safety; and

����
(12)
� any other duties
the commissioner deems appropriate to ensure the safety of school buses for
students in the State.

���� b.��� The office shall treat
communications received in the course of the office's duties, including
personally identifiable information regarding students, parents or guardians,
school bus drivers, and others from whom information is acquired, as
confidential, except when disclosure is necessary to enable the office to
perform the duties of the office and consent for disclosure is obtained.� Upon
receipt of information that by law is confidential or privileged, the
Department of Education shall maintain the confidentiality of such information
and shall not disclose or disseminate the information except as provided by
applicable State or federal law.

���� c.���� As used in this
section, "person" means an individual and any business, including any
corporation, partnership, association, or proprietorship in which such
individual is a principal, or with respect to which the individual owns,
directly or indirectly, or controls any of the stock or other equity interest
of such business.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.471, s.2)

���� 2.��� Section 3 of P.L.2021,
c.471 (C.18A:39-36) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3.���
a.
� The
Department of Education shall submit an initial report to the Governor and to
the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), which
includes a summary of the services provided,
recommendations for legislative
and executive action concerning school bus safety,
and
any

enforcement actions taken
by the Office of School Bus Safety
.�

����
b.
��� A report shall be
issued annually thereafter to the
Legislature and the
Commissioner of
Education by the Office of School Bus Safety containing
:

����
(1)�� recommendations for
legislative and executive action to strengthen school bus safety laws and
regulations;

����
(2)�� the status of
implementing past recommendations for legislative and executive action
concerning school bus safety from any entity formed pursuant to law or
executive action, if applicable;

����
(3)�� a review of student
transportation safety information, records, and data;

����
(4)�� services provided and
enforcement actions taken by the office; and

����
(5)
�� any
other

specific recommendations the office deems appropriate and necessary concerning
the oversight and management within the department's purview.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.471, s.3)

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

����� This bill expands the duties of the Office of School
Bus Safety.� Under the bill, the office is tasked with reviewing the laws,
rules, and regulations governing school bus safety, and recommending
legislative and executive action to the Legislature and the Commissioner of
Education.� The bill also requires the office to identify the status of
implementation of past recommendations for additional action or oversight made
by any entity formed pursuant to law or executive action to review and improve
school bus safety.

����� Current law requires the Department of Education to
submit an initial report to the Governor and to the Legislature on the
activities of the Office of School Bus Safety.� The bill requires the initial
report to additionally include recommendations for legislative and executive
action.�

����� Additionally, under current law, the office is
required to annually submit a report to the commissioner after the submission
of the initial report.� The report currently requires the office to offer
specific recommendations concerning the oversight and management of school bus
safety issues within the department�s purview.� The bill requires that this
report also be submitted to the Legislature.� The report is to additionally
include:

����� (1)� recommendations for legislative and executive
action to strengthen school bus safety laws and regulations;

����� (2)� the status of implementing past recommendations
for legislative and executive action concerning school bus safety from any
entity formed pursuant to law or executive action, if applicable;

����� (3)� a review of student transportation safety
information, records, and data; and

����� (4)� services provided and enforcement actions taken
by the office.