The proposed revisions to the rules listed above include the following changes: deletion of unnecessary and obsolete provisions relating to the state volume purchasing program for school buses; updated provisions relating to statutorily mandated program for bidding of school buses, drug and alcohol testing services, and purchase of other commodities and services that may be needed by school districts; removal of provisions specifying distinctions for transportation of students with special needs that may be inconsistent with federal law; specifying school district responsibilities to inform parents regarding the safety of students while in transit to and from school and to and from bus stops; updating requirements for school bus operators relating to new, statutorily required commercial driver license school bus endorsement; removal of references to specific paper-based forms for systems in which reports to the Department of Education have been automated; requiring school board policies prohibiting use of cell phones by school bus operators while driving and prohibiting unnecessary idling while in the vicinity of students; requiring that school bus operators driving on field or activity trips instruct all passengers regarding locations and proper use of emergency exits; require that school bus operators check their buses after each trip to ensure that no students are left on board; and update requirements for school buses powered by alternative fuels to allow for newer technologies, such as hybrid diesel-electric power.