Bill Text: IL HB2121 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that an applicant for a school bus permit cannot be convicted of committing or attempting to commit the following offenses: (1) solicitation or solicitation of murder; (2) permitting sexual abuse of a child; (3) presence or loitering of a sexual predator or child sex offender in or near a public park; (4) aggravated battery; and (5) use of a dangerous place for the commission of a controlled substance or cannabis offense. Provides that an applicant for a school bus driver permit may not have been convicted of committing or attempting to commit a misdemeanor offense defined in specified Sections of the Cannabis Control Act within the last 20 years, or an offense in any other state or against the laws of the United States, which if committed or attempted in this State would be punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. From the list of offenses disqualifying the issuance of a school bus driver permit, removes specified offenses under the Wrongs to Children Act, the Criminal Code of 2012, the Liquor Control Act of 1934, and the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-08-26 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0458 [HB2121 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB2121-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning transportation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
Section 6-106.1 as follows:
(625 ILCS 5/6-106.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-106.1)
Sec. 6-106.1. School bus driver permit.
(a) The Secretary of State shall issue a school bus driver
permit to those applicants who have met all the requirements of
the application and screening process under this Section to
insure the welfare and safety of children who are transported
on school buses throughout the State of Illinois. Applicants
shall obtain the proper application required by the Secretary
of State from their prospective or current employer and submit
the completed application to the prospective or current
employer along with the necessary fingerprint submission as
required by the Department of State Police to conduct
fingerprint based criminal background checks on current and
future information available in the state system and current
information available through the Federal Bureau of
Investigation's system. Applicants who have completed the
fingerprinting requirements shall not be subjected to the
fingerprinting process when applying for subsequent permits or

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submitting proof of successful completion of the annual
refresher course. Individuals who on July 1, 1995 (the
effective date of Public Act 88-612) possess a valid school bus
driver permit that has been previously issued by the
appropriate Regional School Superintendent are not subject to
the fingerprinting provisions of this Section as long as the
permit remains valid and does not lapse. The applicant shall be
required to pay all related application and fingerprinting fees
as established by rule including, but not limited to, the
amounts established by the Department of State Police and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation to process fingerprint based
criminal background investigations. All fees paid for
fingerprint processing services under this Section shall be
deposited into the State Police Services Fund for the cost
incurred in processing the fingerprint based criminal
background investigations. All other fees paid under this
Section shall be deposited into the Road Fund for the purpose
of defraying the costs of the Secretary of State in
administering this Section. All applicants must:
1. be 21 years of age or older;
2. possess a valid and properly classified driver's
license issued by the Secretary of State;
3. possess a valid driver's license, which has not been
revoked, suspended, or canceled for 3 years immediately
prior to the date of application, or have not had his or
her commercial motor vehicle driving privileges

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disqualified within the 3 years immediately prior to the
date of application;
4. successfully pass a written test, administered by
the Secretary of State, on school bus operation, school bus
safety, and special traffic laws relating to school buses
and submit to a review of the applicant's driving habits by
the Secretary of State at the time the written test is
given;
5. demonstrate ability to exercise reasonable care in
the operation of school buses in accordance with rules
promulgated by the Secretary of State;
6. demonstrate physical fitness to operate school
buses by submitting the results of a medical examination,
including tests for drug use for each applicant not subject
to such testing pursuant to federal law, conducted by a
licensed physician, a licensed advanced practice
registered nurse, or a licensed physician assistant within
90 days of the date of application according to standards
promulgated by the Secretary of State;
7. affirm under penalties of perjury that he or she has
not made a false statement or knowingly concealed a
material fact in any application for permit;
8. have completed an initial classroom course,
including first aid procedures, in school bus driver safety
as promulgated by the Secretary of State; and after
satisfactory completion of said initial course an annual

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refresher course; such courses and the agency or
organization conducting such courses shall be approved by
the Secretary of State; failure to complete the annual
refresher course, shall result in cancellation of the
permit until such course is completed;
9. not have been under an order of court supervision
for or convicted of 2 or more serious traffic offenses, as
defined by rule, within one year prior to the date of
application that may endanger the life or safety of any of
the driver's passengers within the duration of the permit
period;
10. not have been under an order of court supervision
for or convicted of reckless driving, aggravated reckless
driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol,
other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds or
any combination thereof, or reckless homicide resulting
from the operation of a motor vehicle within 3 years of the
date of application;
11. not have been convicted of committing or attempting
to commit any one or more of the following offenses: (i)
those offenses defined in Sections 8-1, 8-1.2, 9-1, 9-1.2,
9-2, 9-2.1, 9-3, 9-3.2, 9-3.3, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3.1, 10-4,
10-5, 10-5.1, 10-6, 10-7, 10-9, 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40,
11-1.50, 11-1.60, 11-6, 11-6.5, 11-6.6, 11-9, 11-9.1,
11-9.1A, 11-9.3, 11-9.4, 11-9.4-1, 11-14, 11-14.1,
11-14.3, 11-14.4, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-17.1,

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11-18, 11-18.1, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 11-20.1,
11-20.1B, 11-20.3, 11-21, 11-22, 11-23, 11-24, 11-25,
11-26, 11-30, 12-2.6, 12-3.05, 12-3.1, 12-4, 12-4.1,
12-4.2, 12-4.2-5, 12-4.3, 12-4.4, 12-4.5, 12-4.6, 12-4.7,
12-4.9, 12-5.01, 12-5.3, 12-6, 12-6.2, 12-7.1, 12-7.3,
12-7.4, 12-7.5, 12-11, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15,
12-16, 12-16.2, 12-21.5, 12-21.6, 12-33, 12C-5, 12C-10,
12C-20, 12C-30, 12C-45, 16-16, 16-16.1, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3,
18-4, 18-5, 19-6, 20-1, 20-1.1, 20-1.2, 20-1.3, 20-2, 24-1,
24-1.1, 24-1.2, 24-1.2-5, 24-1.6, 24-1.7, 24-2.1, 24-3.3,
24-3.5, 24-3.8, 24-3.9, 31A-1, 31A-1.1, 33A-2, and 33D-1,
and in subsection (b) of Section 8-1, and in subdivisions
(a)(1), (a)(2), (b)(1), (e)(1), (e)(2), (e)(3), (e)(4),
and (f)(1) of Section 12-3.05, and in subsection (a) and
subsection (b), clause (1), of Section 12-4, and in
subsection (A), clauses (a) and (b), of Section 24-3, and
those offenses contained in Article 29D of the Criminal
Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (ii) those
offenses defined in the Cannabis Control Act except those
offenses defined in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 4,
and subsection (a) of Section 5 of the Cannabis Control
Act; (iii) those offenses defined in the Illinois
Controlled Substances Act; (iv) those offenses defined in
the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act;
and (v) any offense committed or attempted in any other
state or against the laws of the United States, which if

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committed or attempted in this State would be punishable as
one or more of the foregoing offenses; (vi) the offenses
defined in Section 4.1 and 5.1 of the Wrongs to Children
Act or Section 11-9.1A of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
Criminal Code of 2012; (vii) those offenses defined in
Section 6-16 of the Liquor Control Act of 1934; and (viii)
those offenses defined in the Methamphetamine Precursor
Control Act;
12. not have been repeatedly involved as a driver in
motor vehicle collisions or been repeatedly convicted of
offenses against laws and ordinances regulating the
movement of traffic, to a degree which indicates lack of
ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable care in the
safe operation of a motor vehicle or disrespect for the
traffic laws and the safety of other persons upon the
highway;
13. not have, through the unlawful operation of a motor
vehicle, caused an accident resulting in the death of any
person;
14. not have, within the last 5 years, been adjudged to
be afflicted with or suffering from any mental disability
or disease; and
15. consent, in writing, to the release of results of
reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing under
Section 6-106.1c of this Code by the employer of the
applicant to the Secretary of State; and .

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16. not have been convicted of committing or attempting
to commit within the last 20 years: (i) an offense defined
in subsection (c) of Section 4, subsection (b) of Section
5, and subsection (a) of Section 8 of the Cannabis Control
Act; or (ii) any offenses in any other state or against the
laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted
in this State, would be punishable as one or more of the
foregoing offenses.
(b) A school bus driver permit shall be valid for a period
specified by the Secretary of State as set forth by rule. It
shall be renewable upon compliance with subsection (a) of this
Section.
(c) A school bus driver permit shall contain the holder's
driver's license number, legal name, residence address, zip
code, and date of birth, a brief description of the holder and
a space for signature. The Secretary of State may require a
suitable photograph of the holder.
(d) The employer shall be responsible for conducting a
pre-employment interview with prospective school bus driver
candidates, distributing school bus driver applications and
medical forms to be completed by the applicant, and submitting
the applicant's fingerprint cards to the Department of State
Police that are required for the criminal background
investigations. The employer shall certify in writing to the
Secretary of State that all pre-employment conditions have been
successfully completed including the successful completion of

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an Illinois specific criminal background investigation through
the Department of State Police and the submission of necessary
fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
criminal history information available through the Federal
Bureau of Investigation system. The applicant shall present the
certification to the Secretary of State at the time of
submitting the school bus driver permit application.
(e) Permits shall initially be provisional upon receiving
certification from the employer that all pre-employment
conditions have been successfully completed, and upon
successful completion of all training and examination
requirements for the classification of the vehicle to be
operated, the Secretary of State shall provisionally issue a
School Bus Driver Permit. The permit shall remain in a
provisional status pending the completion of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation's criminal background investigation based
upon fingerprinting specimens submitted to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation by the Department of State Police. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation shall report the findings directly to
the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall remove the
bus driver permit from provisional status upon the applicant's
successful completion of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's
criminal background investigation.
(f) A school bus driver permit holder shall notify the
employer and the Secretary of State if he or she is issued an
order of court supervision for or convicted in another state of

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an offense that would make him or her ineligible for a permit
under subsection (a) of this Section. The written notification
shall be made within 5 days of the entry of the order of court
supervision or conviction. Failure of the permit holder to
provide the notification is punishable as a petty offense for a
first violation and a Class B misdemeanor for a second or
subsequent violation.
(g) Cancellation; suspension; notice and procedure.
(1) The Secretary of State shall cancel a school bus
driver permit of an applicant whose criminal background
investigation discloses that he or she is not in compliance
with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section.
(2) The Secretary of State shall cancel a school bus
driver permit when he or she receives notice that the
permit holder fails to comply with any provision of this
Section or any rule promulgated for the administration of
this Section.
(3) The Secretary of State shall cancel a school bus
driver permit if the permit holder's restricted commercial
or commercial driving privileges are withdrawn or
otherwise invalidated.
(4) The Secretary of State may not issue a school bus
driver permit for a period of 3 years to an applicant who
fails to obtain a negative result on a drug test as
required in item 6 of subsection (a) of this Section or
under federal law.

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(5) The Secretary of State shall forthwith suspend a
school bus driver permit for a period of 3 years upon
receiving notice that the holder has failed to obtain a
negative result on a drug test as required in item 6 of
subsection (a) of this Section or under federal law.
(6) The Secretary of State shall suspend a school bus
driver permit for a period of 3 years upon receiving notice
from the employer that the holder failed to perform the
inspection procedure set forth in subsection (a) or (b) of
Section 12-816 of this Code.
(7) The Secretary of State shall suspend a school bus
driver permit for a period of 3 years upon receiving notice
from the employer that the holder refused to submit to an
alcohol or drug test as required by Section 6-106.1c or has
submitted to a test required by that Section which
disclosed an alcohol concentration of more than 0.00 or
disclosed a positive result on a National Institute on Drug
Abuse five-drug panel, utilizing federal standards set
forth in 49 CFR 40.87.
The Secretary of State shall notify the State
Superintendent of Education and the permit holder's
prospective or current employer that the applicant has (1) has
failed a criminal background investigation or (2) is no longer
eligible for a school bus driver permit; and of the related
cancellation of the applicant's provisional school bus driver
permit. The cancellation shall remain in effect pending the

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outcome of a hearing pursuant to Section 2-118 of this Code.
The scope of the hearing shall be limited to the issuance
criteria contained in subsection (a) of this Section. A
petition requesting a hearing shall be submitted to the
Secretary of State and shall contain the reason the individual
feels he or she is entitled to a school bus driver permit. The
permit holder's employer shall notify in writing to the
Secretary of State that the employer has certified the removal
of the offending school bus driver from service prior to the
start of that school bus driver's next workshift. An employing
school board that fails to remove the offending school bus
driver from service is subject to the penalties defined in
Section 3-14.23 of the School Code. A school bus contractor who
violates a provision of this Section is subject to the
penalties defined in Section 6-106.11.
All valid school bus driver permits issued under this
Section prior to January 1, 1995, shall remain effective until
their expiration date unless otherwise invalidated.
(h) When a school bus driver permit holder who is a service
member is called to active duty, the employer of the permit
holder shall notify the Secretary of State, within 30 days of
notification from the permit holder, that the permit holder has
been called to active duty. Upon notification pursuant to this
subsection, (i) the Secretary of State shall characterize the
permit as inactive until a permit holder renews the permit as
provided in subsection (i) of this Section, and (ii) if a

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permit holder fails to comply with the requirements of this
Section while called to active duty, the Secretary of State
shall not characterize the permit as invalid.
(i) A school bus driver permit holder who is a service
member returning from active duty must, within 90 days, renew a
permit characterized as inactive pursuant to subsection (h) of
this Section by complying with the renewal requirements of
subsection (b) of this Section.
(j) For purposes of subsections (h) and (i) of this
Section:
"Active duty" means active duty pursuant to an executive
order of the President of the United States, an act of the
Congress of the United States, or an order of the Governor.
"Service member" means a member of the Armed Services or
reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois
National Guard.
(k) A private carrier employer of a school bus driver
permit holder, having satisfied the employer requirements of
this Section, shall be held to a standard of ordinary care for
intentional acts committed in the course of employment by the
bus driver permit holder. This subsection (k) shall in no way
limit the liability of the private carrier employer for
violation of any provision of this Section or for the negligent
hiring or retention of a school bus driver permit holder.
(Source: P.A. 99-148, eff. 1-1-16; 99-173, eff. 7-29-15;
99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)