WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

A 5142

Allows commuter vans to accept hails from prospective passengers in the street

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Khaleel Anderson and 31 co-sponsors

The bill strengthens school bus safety by mandating regular, comprehensive training for drivers and staff, including disability interactions and life-threatening emergencies.

REFERENCE CHANGED TO WAYS AND MEANS
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 5142

Assembly Bill A5142 — Summary (Introduced version)

Note on title inconsistency
- The bill header attached to your request lists the title “Allows commuter vans to accept hails from prospective passengers in the street.” However, the actual text of the introduced version provided addresses school bus safety and training for school transportation personnel. This summary describes the substantive content of the introduced bill text (school bus safety). If you need a summary of the commuter-van proposal, please provide the corresponding text.

Main purpose

To strengthen school bus safety by expanding and clarifying training requirements for school bus drivers, aides, and other school bus personnel — with specific emphasis on interaction with students with disabilities and recognition/response to potential life‑threatening emergencies on school buses.

Key provisions and changes

  • Updates existing school-transportation training statutes (amends P.L.2018, c.160 and P.L.2015, c.123 and adds new sections).
  • Employer training responsibilities:
    • Requires employers (boards of education and contracted pupil-transportation providers) to ensure all school bus drivers, school bus aides, and other covered personnel are properly trained.
    • Employers must administer a safety education program to all permanent and substitute drivers, aides, and other school bus personnel subject to specified sections of the law.
  • Training content (minimum topics):
    • Student management and discipline
    • School bus accident and emergency procedures
    • Conducting school bus emergency exit drills
    • Loading and unloading procedures
    • School bus stop/ loading zone safety
    • Inspecting the bus for students left on board at end of route
    • Proper use and privacy of students’ education records
    • Defensive driving techniques and railroad crossing procedures
  • Frequency:
    • Employers must administer the safety education program twice per calendar year.
  • Interaction with students with disabilities:
    • Directs the Commissioner of Education to develop (and update) a training program on interacting with students with disabilities that includes behavior management, effective communication, operation of adaptive equipment, understanding behaviors related to disabilities, and recognizing signs of potential life‑threatening emergencies on buses transporting students with disabilities.
    • The updated program must be made available to districts within specified timeframes (the text references availability one year after an earlier act and an update within 180 days of the new act).
  • Implementation timelines for staff:
    • Existing employees must receive the program within set deadlines after availability (e.g., 180 days for some staff; 90 days for personnel responsible for safety of students with disabilities after the update).
    • New hires must be trained prior to first performing safety-related duties on a school bus.
  • Documentation and reporting:
    • Employees must file certification that they completed the training within five business days of completion.
    • Employers retain the certification for the duration of employment.
    • Boards of education and contractors must forward copies of certifications to the Office of Special Education (or successor office) within the Department of Education (contractors first forward to the board).
  • New definitions:
    • Adds a definition of “potential life‑threatening emergency” (a situation where a prudent person could reasonably believe immediate intervention is necessary to protect the life of a student with disabilities or other students from medical/behavioral emergencies or imminent fatal injury).

Who is affected

  • Boards of education and school districts
  • Contractors providing pupil transportation services
  • School bus drivers, school bus aides, and other school bus personnel
  • Students (particularly students with disabilities) and their families
  • Office of Special Education (Department of Education) — receives training certifications and provides the training materials

Procedural status and timeline

  • Introduced in the Assembly: 2024-12-16 (referred to Assembly Education Committee)
  • Multiple committee referrals and amendments; print number 5142A issued (3/31/2025)
  • Referred to Ways and Means (multiple entries; status shows “REFERENCE CHANGED TO WAYS AND MEANS” as of 2025-06-10)
  • Companion bills: S3858 and S4105 (Senate)

Potential impact

  • Safety: Likely to improve school-bus safety and staff readiness to manage behavioral and medical crises, especially involving students with disabilities.
  • Administrative/compliance: Increases training frequency and recordkeeping obligations, imposing additional administrative tasks and likely costs for districts and contractors to deliver and document training twice yearly.
  • Operational: Contractors and boards must coordinate to ensure timely training, certification filing, and transmission of records to the Department of Education.

If you want, I can:
- Provide a side-by-side list of the specific statutory sections amended and the exact new language (where available), or
- Summarize the companion Senate bill(s) and note any differences.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.