Garden State Times

The New Jersey Senate has passed a bipartisan bill, sponsored by Senator Vince Polistina (R-2), aimed at addressing the state's school bus driver shortage. The legislation allows drivers with a Type S School Bus certificate to transport children to and from school.

"Like many other states, New Jersey has dealt with a critical school bus driver shortage since the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Although the Motor Vehicle Commission has taken steps to try and alleviate this shortage, more needs to be done to address the negative impacts of driver supply and demand," said Sen. Polistina. "This legislation would create a pathway for eligible drivers to become certified to operate Type S school vehicles, thereby freeing up CDL drivers to operate traditional school buses and improving school transportation in the Garden State."

Currently, only drivers possessing a commercial driver’s license (CDL) are permitted to operate a school vehicle. To obtain a CDL, drivers must meet specific requirements including being at least 21 years old, possessing a basic New Jersey's driver’s license, having good vision, and obtaining both passenger and school bus endorsements on their CDL.

Senator Polistina's bill, A-2180/S-3000, proposes the creation of a Type S Bus Certificate that would allow eligible drivers to operate a Type S school vehicle without needing a CDL or endorsements. Eligible drivers would need to meet certain age and physical requirements as outlined in the bill. Type S buses are smaller vehicles capable of transporting up to nine passengers.

The proposed legislation stipulates that the Type S Bus Certificate would be issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC). Drivers would also be subject to specific laws pertaining to school bus operators.

These include: treating operating a Type S School Bus with a suspended or revoked license as a fourth-degree crime; suspending a driver's Type S certificate for six months if they leave a child on the bus at the end of their route; requiring the NJMVC to suspend the certificate for 90 days if the driver is convicted of three or more moving violations in a three-year period or accumulates six or more penalty points while operating a commercial- or non-commercial vehicle; and mandating suspended drivers to complete a 10-hour training course to regain their certificate and/or complete a defensive driving course after certain violations.

The full version of the bill is available online. For further information, please contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Director of Communications at [email protected].