Bill Text: IA SSB1161 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to department of education school bus driver authorization and approved courses of instruction.(See SF 448.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-25 - Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 448. [SSB1161 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-SSB1161-Introduced.html
Senate
Study
Bill
1161
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
ZUMBACH)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
department
of
education
school
bus
driver
1
authorization
and
approved
courses
of
instruction.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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_____
Section
1.
Section
321.376,
subsections
1
and
3,
Code
2025,
1
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
1.
a.
The
driver
of
a
school
bus
shall
hold
a
driver’s
3
license
issued
by
the
department
of
transportation
valid
4
for
the
operation
of
the
school
bus
and
a
certificate
of
5
qualification
for
operation
of
a
commercial
motor
vehicle
6
issued
by
a
physician
or
osteopathic
physician
licensed
7
pursuant
to
chapter
148
,
physician
assistant,
advanced
8
registered
nurse
practitioner,
or
chiropractor
or
any
other
9
person
identified
by
federal
and
state
law
as
authorized
to
10
perform
physical
examinations
,
and
.
11
b.
If
required
by
the
school
district
employing
the
driver,
12
the
driver
shall
successfully
complete
an
approved
course
of
13
instruction
in
accordance
with
subsection
3
.
14
c.
A
person
holding
a
temporary
restricted
license
issued
15
under
chapter
321J
shall
be
prohibited
from
operating
a
school
16
bus.
17
3.
a.
A
person
applying
for
employment
or
employed
as
18
a
school
bus
driver
shall
not
be
required
to
successfully
19
complete
a
department
of
education
approved
course
of
20
instruction
for
school
bus
drivers
unless
the
school
district
21
hiring
or
employing
the
person
requires
successful
completion
22
of
such
course.
23
b.
If
a
school
district
requires
successful
completion
of
an
24
approved
course,
the
person
hired
as
a
school
bus
driver
shall
25
complete
the
course
before
or
within
the
first
six
months
of
26
employment
and
at
least
every
twenty-four
months
thereafter.
27
If
an
employee
is
required
to
complete
a
course
and
fails
to
28
provide
an
employer
with
a
certificate
of
completion
of
the
29
required
school
bus
driver’s
course,
the
driver’s
employer
30
shall
report
the
failure
to
the
department
of
education
and
31
the
employee’s
authorization
to
operate
a
school
bus
shall
be
32
revoked.
The
department
of
education
shall
send
notice
of
the
33
revocation
to
both
the
employee
and
the
employer.
A
person
34
whose
school
bus
authorization
has
been
revoked
under
this
35
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section
subsection
shall
not
be
issued
another
authorization
1
until
certification
of
the
completion
of
an
approved
school
bus
2
driver’s
course
is
received
by
the
department
of
education
,
or
3
until
the
person
is
employed
by
a
school
district
that
does
not
4
require
successful
completion
of
an
approved
course
and
the
5
person
is
otherwise
in
compliance
with
this
section
.
6
EXPLANATION
7
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
8
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
9
Under
current
law,
a
person
applying
for
employment
or
10
employed
as
a
school
bus
driver
is
required
to
successfully
11
complete
a
course
of
instruction
for
school
bus
drivers
12
approved
by
the
department
of
education
(DE)
before
or
within
13
the
first
6
months
of
employment
and
at
least
every
24
months
14
thereafter.
If
a
school
bus
driver
fails
to
provide
an
15
employer
with
a
certificate
of
completion
of
the
course,
16
the
driver’s
employer
must
report
the
failure
to
DE
and
the
17
employee’s
authorization
to
operate
a
school
bus
must
be
18
revoked.
A
person
whose
school
bus
authorization
has
been
19
revoked
is
prohibited
from
being
issued
another
authorization
20
until
certification
of
the
completion
of
a
course
is
received
21
by
DE.
22
This
bill
exempts
school
bus
drivers
from
being
required
23
to
complete
a
course
unless
the
school
district
employing
the
24
driver
requires
it.
A
school
bus
driver
whose
authorization
25
is
revoked
may
receive
authorization
without
completion
of
26
a
course
if
the
driver
is
subsequently
employed
by
a
school
27
district
that
does
not
require
successful
completion
of
28
a
course,
so
long
as
the
driver
is
otherwise
eligible
for
29
authorization.
30
If
a
school
bus
driver’s
school
district
requires
successful
31
completion
of
a
course,
the
driver
must
comply
with
the
course
32
requirements
under
current
law.
33
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