HB447: AN ACT relating to the transportation of students and declaring an emergency.

Legislative Summary

Amends KRS 156.153 to permit school districts to use district-owned, leased, or contracted passenger transportation vehicles to transport students to and from school and approved school activities under an alternative transportation plan approved by the Kentucky Department of Education, to provide that vehicles shall be operated by an employee or contractor of local school district who is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within the Commonwealth, and to provide that the department shall promulgate administrative regulations to establish minimum standards and specifications for an alternative transportation plan, including drug testing requirements that align with the requirements of 49 C.F.R. pt. 40; amends KRS 156.990 to provide that an individual who operates a school bus or non-school bus passenger vehicle to transport a student or students without a current valid license to operate that motor vehicle within the Commonwealth shall be guilty of a Class D felony; and amends KRS 160.380 to require that the driver of any non-school bus passenger vehicle authorized to transport students to and from school pursuant to the alternative transportation plan submit to designated background checks and drug testing and to require certain traffic offenses or arrests to be reported to the superintendent; EMERGENCY.