S-4700               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 6184

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Bender, Murray, Warnke, Bauer and Moore)

Read first time 2/2/90.

AN ACT Relating to school bus safety standards; adding a new section to Title 28A RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that a school bus safety problem exists throughout the state.  Within the local school districts there are at least two thousand obsolete school buses in use that do not meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards that became effective April 1, 1977.  In addition there are over one thousand school buses that have completed ten years of service and are also designated as obsolete.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a proposed plan for phasing out the use of school buses that do not meet the 1977 federal motor vehicle safety standards over a five-year period and shall submit its report to the members of the legislative transportation committee and the education committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to Title 28A RCW to read as follows:

          Public school districts shall not purchase, lease, or contract for the use of school buses that do not meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards that became effective April 1, 1977.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.