1.2relating to public safety; modifying provisions relating to school bus safety
1.3and standards; abolishing standards for type III vehicles used for transporting
1.4students;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 169.4501, subdivisions 1,
1.52; 169.4503, subdivisions 5, 20, by adding subdivisions; 169.451, subdivision 3;
1.6169.4582, subdivision 2; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 169.441,
1.7subdivision 5; 169.445, subdivision 2; 169.454, subdivision 10.
1.8BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9    Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4501, subdivision 1, is amended to
1.10read:
1.11    Subdivision 1. National standards adopted. Except as provided in sections
1.12169.4502 and 169.4503, the construction, design, equipment, and color of types A, B, C,
1.13D school buses and multifunction school activity buses used for the transportation of
1.14school children shall meet the requirements of the "bus chassis standards" and "bus body
1.15standards and chassis specifications" in the 2005 2010 edition of the "National School
1.16Transportation Specifications and Procedures" adopted by the National Congress on
1.17School Transportation. Except as provided in section 169.4504, the construction, design,
1.18and equipment of types A, B, C, D school buses and multifunction school activity buses
1.19used for the transportation of students with disabilities also shall meet the requirements of
1.20the "specially equipped school bus standards specifications" in the 2005 2010 National
1.21School Transportation Specifications and Procedures. The "bus chassis standards," "bus
1.22body standards, and chassis specifications" and "specially equipped school bus standards
1.23specifications" sections of the 2005 2010 edition of the "National School Transportation
1.24Specifications and Procedures," adopted by the Fifteenth National Congress on School
1.25Transportation, are incorporated by reference in this chapter.

2.1    Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4501, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.2    Subd. 2. Applicability. (a) The standards adopted in this section and sections
2.3169.4502 and 169.4503, govern the construction, design, equipment, and color of school
2.4buses used for the transportation of school children, when owned or leased and operated
2.5by a school or privately owned or leased and operated under a contract with a school.
2.6Each school, its officers and employees, and each person employed under the contract is
2.7subject to these standards.
2.8    (b) The standards apply to school buses manufactured after December 31, 2007
2.92012. Buses complying with the standards when manufactured need not comply with
2.10standards established later except as specifically provided for by law.
2.11    (c) A school bus manufactured on or before December 31, 2007 2012, must conform
2.12to the Minnesota standards in effect on the date the vehicle was manufactured except as
2.13specifically provided for in law.
2.14    (d) A new bus body may be remounted on a used chassis provided that the remounted
2.15vehicle meets state and federal standards for new buses which are current at the time of the
2.16remounting. Permission must be obtained from the commissioner of public safety before
2.17the remounting is done. A used bus body may not be remounted on a new or used chassis.

2.18    Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4503, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
2.19    Subd. 5. Colors. Fenderettes may be black. The beltline may be painted yellow
2.20over black or black over yellow. The rub rails shall be black. The area around the lenses
2.21of alternately flashing signal lamps extending outward from the edge of the lamp three
2.22inches, plus or minus one-quarter inch, to the sides and top and at least one inch to the
2.23bottom, shall be black. Visors or hoods, black in color, with a minimum of four inches
2.24may be provided.

2.25    Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4503, subdivision 20, is amended to read:
2.26    Subd. 20. Seat and crash barriers. (a) All restraining barriers and passenger seats
2.27shall be covered with a material that has fire retardant or fire block characteristics.
2.28    (b) All seats must have a minimum cushion depth of 15 inches and a seat back
2.29height of at least 20 inches above the seating reference point, and beginning October 21,
2.302009, must also conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard in Code of Federal
2.31Regulations, title 49, section 571.222.

2.32    Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4503, is amended by adding a subdivision
2.33to read:
3.1    Subd. 28. Auxiliary fans. Additional auxiliary fans are required for school buses
3.2manufactured on or after December 31, 2012, and shall meet the following requirements:
3.3(1) fans for the left and right sides of the windshields shall be placed in a location
3.4where they can be adjusted for maximum effectiveness and where they do not obstruct
3.5vision to any mirror. Type A buses may be equipped with one fan;
3.6(2) fans shall be a minimum of six inches in diameter;
3.7(3) fan blades shall be covered with a protective cage; and
3.8(4) each fan shall be controlled by a separate switch.

3.9    Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4503, is amended by adding a subdivision
3.10to read:
3.11    Subd. 29. Video/mobile surveillance systems. Camera heads for video/mobile
3.12surveillance may be mounted in the driver compartment area, mid-bus, or on a rear interior
3.13bulkhead in the student passenger area. For buses manufactured or retrofitted with a
3.14surveillance system after December 31, 2012, cameras mounted mid-bus must be parallel
3.15to a seat back, must not have any sharp edges, must not extend outward more than three
3.16inches, and must be located within 24 inches of the top of the side window of the bus.

3.17    Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.451, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
3.18    Subd. 3. Rules of commissioner. (a) The commissioner of public safety shall
3.19provide by rule for the issuance and display of distinctive inspection certificates.
3.20(b) The commissioner of public safety shall provide by rule a point system for
3.21evaluating the effect on safety operation of any variance from law detected during
3.22inspections conducted pursuant to subdivision 1.

3.23    Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.4582, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.24    Subd. 2. Duty to report; school official. Consistent with the school bus safety
3.25policy under section 123B.91, subdivision 1, the school principal, the school transportation
3.26safety director, or other designated school official shall immediately report to the local
3.27law enforcement agency having jurisdiction where the misbehavior occurred and to the
3.28school superintendent if the reporting school official knows or has reason to believe that
3.29a student has committed a reportable offense on a school bus or in a bus loading or
3.30unloading area. The reporting school official shall issue a report to the commissioner of
3.31public safety concerning the incident on a form developed by the commissioner for that
3.32purpose upon request of the commissioner.

4.1    Sec. 9. REPEALER.
4.2Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 169.441, subdivision 5; 169.445, subdivision 2;
4.3and 169.454, subdivision 10, are repealed.