Bill Text: FL S1676 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Child Transportation Safety

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-03-11 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Education [S1676 Detail]

Download: Florida-2016-S1676-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1676
       
       
        
       By Senator Sachs
       
       34-00906-16                                           20161676__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child transportation safety;
    3         providing a short title; amending s. 316.6135, F.S.;
    4         requiring vehicles used to transport children by
    5         public entities or by private organizations for hire
    6         to be equipped with a certain alarm system by a
    7         specified date; requiring the Department of Highway
    8         Safety and Motor Vehicles to adopt rules and maintain
    9         a list of alarm manufacturers and approved alarm
   10         systems; amending s. 402.305, F.S.; requiring vehicles
   11         used by child care facilities and large family child
   12         care homes to be equipped with a certain alarm system
   13         by a specified date; requiring the Department of
   14         Children and Families to adopt rules and maintain a
   15         list of alarm manufacturers and approved alarm
   16         systems; amending s. 1006.22, F.S.; requiring school
   17         buses to be equipped with a certain alarm system by a
   18         specified date; requiring the State Board of Education
   19         to adopt rules and maintain a list of alarm
   20         manufacturers and approved alarm systems; providing an
   21         effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Haile Brockington
   26  Act.”
   27         Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 316.6135,
   28  Florida Statutes, to read:
   29         316.6135 Leaving children unattended or unsupervised in
   30  motor vehicles; penalty; authority of law enforcement officer.—
   31         (8) By January 1, 2017, each vehicle used to transport
   32  children by public entities or by private organizations for
   33  hire, including schools, camps, and churches, must be equipped
   34  with an alarm system approved by the department which prompts
   35  the driver to inspect the interior and the exterior of the
   36  vehicle for the presence of children before the driver exits or
   37  departs from the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. The
   38  department shall adopt rules to administer this subsection and
   39  shall maintain a list of alarm manufacturers and alarm systems
   40  required by this subsection that are approved to be installed in
   41  such vehicles.
   42         Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 402.305, Florida
   43  Statutes, is amended to read:
   44         402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.—
   45         (10) TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.—
   46         (a) Minimum standards shall include requirements for child
   47  restraints or seat belts in vehicles used by child care
   48  facilities and large family child care homes to transport
   49  children, requirements for annual inspections of the vehicles,
   50  limitations on the number of children in the vehicles, and
   51  accountability for children being transported.
   52         (b)1. By January 1, 2017, vehicles used by child care
   53  facilities and large family child care homes must be equipped
   54  with an alarm system approved by the department which prompts
   55  the driver to inspect the interior and the exterior of the
   56  vehicle for the presence of children before the driver exits or
   57  departs from the immediate vicinity of the vehicle.
   58         2. The department shall adopt rules to administer this
   59  paragraph and shall maintain a list of alarm manufacturers and
   60  alarm systems required by this paragraph that are approved to be
   61  installed in such vehicles.
   62         Section 4. Subsection (10) of section 1006.22, Florida
   63  Statutes, is amended to read:
   64         1006.22 Safety and health of students being transported.
   65  Maximum regard for safety and adequate protection of health are
   66  primary requirements that must be observed by district school
   67  boards in routing buses, appointing drivers, and providing and
   68  operating equipment, in accordance with all requirements of law
   69  and rules of the State Board of Education in providing
   70  transportation pursuant to s. 1006.21:
   71         (10) Each district school board shall designate and adopt a
   72  specific plan for adequate examination, maintenance, and repair
   73  of transportation equipment. Examination of the mechanical and
   74  safety condition of each school bus must be made as required
   75  pursuant to rule of the State Board of Education. The State
   76  Board of Education shall base the rule on student safety
   77  considerations.
   78         (a) By January 1, 2017, each school bus must be equipped
   79  with an alarm system approved by the State Board of Education
   80  which prompts the driver to inspect the interior and the
   81  exterior of the bus for the presence of children before the
   82  driver exits or departs from the immediate vicinity of the bus.
   83         (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
   84  administer paragraph (a) and shall maintain a list of alarm
   85  manufacturers and alarm systems required by paragraph (a) that
   86  are approved to be installed in school buses.
   87         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.