Purpose


The purpose of this rule development is to remove duplicative requirements for school districts to report school bus accidents to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). The effect is to cease school bus accident reporting to FDOE that duplicates uniform traffic crash reports already required from police agencies by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The purpose is to also delete the requirement for school districts to report hazardous walking locations to the FDOE. The effect is that the FDOE will no longer maintain a database of hazardous walking locations which duplicates information available at school districts. Additionally, the requirement for school districts to maintain a list of certified medical examiners is deleted because, under 49 C.F.R. Part 391 (compliance with which is required by section 1012.45, Florida Statutes), certified medical examiners must be registered with the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners to conduct school bus operator medical examinations. The provision indicating that school bus operators may not drive in excess of fifty-five miles per hour is deleted as that provision has been superseded by section 316.183(3), Florida Statutes. The provision indicating that operators shall not carry firearms while on school board property is deleted as that provision has been superseded by sections 790.115, 790.25, and 790.251, Florida Statutes.