2024 Regular Session - Day 51 - HB 447, Sen. Matthew Deneen

thank you Mr President House Bill 447 is a timely bill as we all know uh with difficulties with transportation in some of our school systems this bill is to provide school districts with an appropriate uh opportunity to utilize a nine or less passenger van to transport students not only to and from school in um needed cases but it also allows them to use that nine person or less van to transport students during after school activities this bill will address a lot of um districts that may want to move students that may be on the speech team or a few students that may be in the Beta Club for a competition across uh districts or into another school district so it saves a tremendous amount of money especially in our larger school districts but in all districts this allows districts to utilize the vehicles owned least or contracted by the district that were designed and built by the manufacturer for passenger transportation of nine or less students these vehicles must clearly be marked as transporting students and undergo a safety inspection at least once every 30 days this bill also directs the KDE promulgated administrative regulations that outline minimum standards and specifications for non-school bus passenger vehicles including minimum insurance coverage senate committee sub one addresses that any sponsor of a club that may be driving these vans that do not meet the requirements of a bus driver must report to the superintendent any conviction or any violations traffic violations immediately senate floor Amendment two simply clarifies language that these Vans can be used and are approved for school activities