Bill Text: NJ S2548 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides temporary extension of service life of school buses for one year; authorizes chief administrator to provide additional extensions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2548 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S2548-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Provides temporary extension of service life of school buses for one year; authorizes chief administrator to provide additional extensions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the retirement of vehicles used for pupil transportation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. For the first school year following the effective date of this act, the retirement date of school buses provided by section 1 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.1) and section 2 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.2) shall be extended by one year.
b. For the second through seventh school years following the effective date of this act, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, may allow an additional year of service for any school bus used for pupil transportation purposes in the prior school year that is required to be retired pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.1) and section 2 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.2), provided any inspections of the school bus determine that the school bus may safely be used for pupil transportation.
c. If, in any year, the chief administrator determines to allow a school bus to be operated for additional years of service for pupil transportation purposes pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the chief administrator shall provide a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature that contains the following information:
(1) the number of school buses in the State authorized to operate beyond the statutory service life provided by section 1 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.1) and section 2 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.2);
(2) the rationale for allowing school buses to be operated for additional years of service pursuant to subsection b. of this section;
(3) any data or information that the chief administrator used to determine whether to allow school buses to be operated for additional years of service pursuant to subsection b. of this section; and
(4) any other information the chief administrator determines is necessary or appropriate to relay to the Governor and the Legislature concerning pupil transportation and school bus safety in the State.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides a temporary extension of the service life of schools buses for the first school year following enactment of the bill. Under the bill, the service life of certain school buses would be extended from 12 years, 15 years, and 20 years to 13 years, 16 years, and 21 years, depending on the type of school bus, for the first school year following enactment.
Thereafter, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (chief administrator), in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, is authorized to provide one-year extensions for any school bus used for pupil transportation services in the prior school year. This would allow, for the seventh school year following enactment, the service life of certain school buses to be extended to a maximum of 19 years, 22 years, and 27 years, depending on the type of school bus.
For any year that the chief administrator exercises the option to extend the service life of school buses, the chief administrator is required to provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature concerning the extension.
