Senator Fuschillo recently unveiled his comprehensive package of bills aimed at improving school bus safety and protecting children from abandonment and injury in school buses.

Fuschillo, who is a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, hosted a school bus safety task force public hearing on Long Island to solicit information and advice from parents, educators and school bus operators and identify priority areas for legislative action.

"Recommendations of the Senate Task Force on School Bus Safety were enacted into law, but there is much more that needs to be done to ensure that children are safe when they ride the bus to and from school," Fuschillo said. "Parents deserve that peace of mind and confidence knowing that buses are safe and that drivers are qualified and conscientious.

"There are 50,000 school buses carrying more than 2 million children on New York's highways every school day and each child's safety is my chief concern," Fuschillo added. "New York has a strong school bus safety record, but there are a number of issues that still must be addressed. This package of school bus safety legislation is an important step in that direction."

The 12 bills contained in Fuschillo's school bus safety package would:

* Require a study on whether seat belt use should be mandatory: This bill would require the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to study the effects of mandating seat belt use on school buses and to compare New York school districts that mandate use compared to those that do not. This bill will require the committee to make a recommendation to the governor and the Legislature by Dec. 1.

* Require school bus drivers to check for stranded students: Currently there is no law in New York State for school bus drivers to check that the bus is empty before they park and exit the bus. This bill would require that each bus driver follow a standard procedure to check for students before getting off the bus and if there are no students on board, affix a two-sided fluorescent sign with "NO ONE ON BOARD" printed on it.

* Require criminal checks for all school bus attendants: This bill would strengthen the qualification procedures for school bus attendants and would require fingerprinting and a criminal history check. The background check procedure would be the same one currently in place for school bus drivers.

* Mandate a refresher course for all school bus drivers: This bill would require every school bus driver in the state to complete two hours of continuing instruction in school bus safety practices at least twice a year. The curriculum for the instruction shall be developed by the Comprehensive School Bus Driver Safety Training Council and shall include instruction on proper post trip instructions to ensure that children are not mistakenly left on board.

* Subject all bus drivers to the same standards: This bill would expand current driver qualifications to apply to all drivers who are employed for school transportation purposes, regardless of the size of the bus. It would apply all of the standards required for school bus drivers to individuals employed by a motor carrier that operates small buses when driving children to and from kindergarten or school.

* Make it a crime to enter or remain on a bus for no reason or without authority: Under the provisions of this bill, individuals would not be allowed to enter school buses and disrupt the safety of the bus with verbal or physical abuse or in any other way jeopardize the safety of students, teachers or drivers.

* Require a school vehicle transporting a disabled student to carry relevant personal information about the student: This bill would require that every bus used to transport disabled children should maintain certain information such as: the student's name, address and phone number, the nature of the child's disability, emergency health care information and emergency contact information.

* Prohibit an individual whose license is suspended for a conviction of DWI or for driving under the influence of drugs from driving a school bus: Currently, when an individual is convicted for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he is forbidden by the courts from driving his own car, but not a school bus. This bill would not allow these individuals to drive school buses.

* Require mandatory revocation of a school bus driver's license for drivers who have tested positive on a random drug or alcohol test: This bill would permanently disqualify school bus drivers who have tested positive for drug or alcohol use from ever driving a school bus.

* Require school bus drivers involved in accidents where students are injured to submit a breath test: Under the provisions of this bill, each time a school bus transporting pupils is involved in an accident, and there is a death or a serious physical injury, the drivers of all vehicles involved in the accident are required to submit to a breath test administered by a police officer.

* Prohibit school bus drivers from letting students exit a bus on a divided highway: This bill would prohibit the receiving or discharging of passengers by a school bus on a divided highway having four or more lanes and a speed limit of 50 mph or greater.

* Require one statutory definition of "school" and "school bus:" This bill would require DOT, DMV and SED to develop a uniform definition of "school bus" to eradicate inconsistencies in current law which led to confusion regarding equipment and bus driver standards.

"Last year two school bus safety bills recommended at my school bus safety hearing were enacted into law that prohibits children from standing on school buses and a measure to increase fines for bus companies that fail to comply with laws relating to school bus driver qualifications," Fuschillo said.

In addition to this school bus safety legislative package, Fuschillo said he will look into what can be done to attract and retain bus drivers in order to address the shortage of school bus drivers experienced by many school districts.