S-0507.1/91 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5114
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Senators Murray, Bailey, Bauer, Thorsness, Erwin, Gaspard, A. Smith, Rinehart, Madsen, Talmadge, Wojahn, Rasmussen, Conner and Snyder; by request of Task Force on Student Transp. Safety.
Read first time January 21, 1991. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to student transportation; adding a new section to chapter 46.37 RCW; creating new sections; and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.37 RCW to read as follows:
Effective September 1, 1992, every school bus shall, in addition to any other equipment required by this chapter, be equipped with a crossing arm mounted to the bus that, when extended, will require students who are crossing in front of the bus to walk more than five feet from the front of the bus.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. By October 1, 1991, the superintendent of public instruction shall purchase the crossing arms required in section 1 of this act for every public school bus owned by a school district or under contract by a school district. By March 1, 1992, the superintendent of public instruction shall distribute, or have distributed, the crossing arms to the school districts. Installation of the crossing arms shall be the responsibility of the school districts.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The superintendent of public instruction shall, in cooperation with at least one school district, conduct a pilot program to test the feasibility of using video cameras inside of school buses to reduce discipline problems and assist school bus drivers in identifying students who create discipline problems. The superintendent of public instruction shall report her findings to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 31, 1991.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. By December 1, 1991, the superintendent of public instruction shall review the current use of aides on special education buses and provide to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate recommended guidelines, with associated fiscal impacts, for increasing the use of aides on special education buses.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The superintendent of public instruction, in cooperation with school districts, the state patrol, and local law enforcement personnel, shall develop a proposed definition and guidelines for implementing an expanded definition of "hazardous walking conditions" as used in RCW 28A.160.160(4) that would also include "social hazards." At a minimum, social hazards shall include areas with unacceptable levels of narcotic activity, sex offenders, prostitution, street violence, or environmentally dangerous conditions such as toxic waste dumps. The superintendent of public instruction shall submit its proposed definition and guidelines, with the projected fiscal impact of implementing the definition and guidelines, to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 1, 1991.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The sum of seven hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of section 2 of this act.
(2) The sum of forty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of section 3 of this act.