This amendment will update the 2020 edition of the Florida School Bus Safety Inspection Manual for 2025. New technologies for electric school buses necessitate related changes to inspection criteria and procedures, requiring ....

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6A-3.0171Responsibilities of School Districts for Student Transportation

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: This amendment will update the 2020 edition of the Florida School Bus Safety Inspection Manual for 2025. New technologies for electric school buses necessitate related changes to inspection criteria and procedures, requiring periodic revisions of this publication to ensure school buses remain safe for student transportation. Regulations previously limiting the use of vehicles other than school buses for student transportation to and from school and school activities were relaxed during the 2023 legislative session with the passing of HB 1, making it necessary to adopt rules to define vehicles that are allowed for student transportation and how such vehicles shall be maintained and how often they are to be inspected to ensure student safety. The frequency of school bus inspections is updated to eliminate redundant inspections and to align with industry standards and with the inspections for other vehicles that transport students. Vehicle inspections will be conducted on a quarterly basis with the maximum interval not to exceed 101 calendar days.

SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: The proposed amendment addresses which vehicles are allowed for transporting students, and by whom, how often and how such vehicles are to be inspected, and which records are to be kept.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 316.615, 1001.02(1), 1003.31, 1006.21, 1006.22, 1012.45, F.S.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 316.615, 1003.31, 1006.22, 1012.45, F.S.

A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: January 9, 2025, 1:00 p.m.

PLACE: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NWU1NGQ3NzQtMDBkZC00ZGFlLTk5OWEtMTRjYmRiMGM2YTQ0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2263bf107b-cb6f-4173-8c1c-1406bb5cb794%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a8c889e4-e1d7-4c53-af13-f375e082fc20%22%7d

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Mark Eggers, Assistant Deputy Commissioner. [e-mail], [phone]. To comment on this rule development workshop, please go to https://web02.fldoe.org/rules or contact: Chris Emerson, Director, Office of Executive Management, email [e-mail].

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:

Available at https://web02.fldoe.org/rules