Bill Text: TX SB681 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to requiring school districts to adopt a policy regarding the idling of the engine of a school bus.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-11 - Referred to Education [SB681 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB681-Introduced.html
87R3871 TSS-D | ||
By: Blanco | S.B. No. 681 |
|
||
|
||
relating to requiring school districts to adopt a policy regarding | ||
the idling of the engine of a school bus. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Section 34.0031 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 34.0031. BUS IDLING POLICY. (a) In this section, | ||
"idling" means allowing an engine to run while the motor vehicle is | ||
not engaged in forward or reverse motion. | ||
(b) The board of trustees of each school district shall | ||
adopt a policy that minimizes the amount of time that drivers of | ||
buses operated or contracted for operation by the district spend | ||
idling the bus engine. The policy shall, to the extent practicable: | ||
(1) require a bus to be engaged in forward or reverse | ||
motion when the bus engine is running; | ||
(2) require that a bus driver promptly turn off the bus | ||
engine on arrival at a campus loading or unloading area or bus | ||
station, depot, or terminal located on or within one-half mile of a | ||
district campus; | ||
(3) require that, before departing a campus loading or | ||
unloading area or bus station, depot, or terminal located on or | ||
within one-half mile of a district campus, the bus driver not start | ||
the bus engine until the bus is prepared to engage in motion; | ||
(4) require a bus driver to limit idling time before | ||
departure to the time recommended by the bus manufacturer to heat or | ||
cool the bus as necessary; | ||
(5) minimize the time students spend on a bus | ||
traveling to and from school; and | ||
(6) require a sign with the words "No Idling" to be | ||
posted on each district campus in each area where students are | ||
regularly dropped off or picked up. | ||
(c) To maximize the effectiveness of a policy adopted under | ||
Subsection (b), a school district may: | ||
(1) review any federal, state, or local regulations | ||
relating to engine idling to ensure the district's policy is | ||
consistent with those regulations; | ||
(2) offer training on the policy for bus drivers | ||
employed by the district; | ||
(3) perform random checks to ensure bus drivers are | ||
complying with the policy at: | ||
(A) bus stations, depots, and terminals; | ||
(B) campus loading or unloading areas; and | ||
(C) other areas where idling may occur; | ||
(4) use technology designed to reduce idling to | ||
optimize fuel economy, equipment operation, and student comfort; | ||
(5) develop strategies to recognize bus drivers who | ||
successfully reduce idling of the bus engine; | ||
(6) if the school district contracts with a mass | ||
transit authority, commercial transportation company, or juvenile | ||
board for any part of the district's public school transportation, | ||
coordinate with the authority, company, or board to ensure | ||
compliance with the policy; | ||
(7) develop and implement educational programs for | ||
students on strategies for preventing and reversing air pollution, | ||
including methods to reduce engine idling; | ||
(8) encourage local governmental entities to adopt | ||
idling reduction plans and programs; and | ||
(9) publicize the success of the district's policy and | ||
any additional district idling reduction programs. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 | ||
school year. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |