PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR [04-12-113].
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 180-20-101 Minimum qualifications of school bus drivers.
Hearing Location(s): Educational Service District 113, 601 McPhee Road S.W., Olympia, WA 98502, on March 16, 2005, at 8:30 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: March 18, 2005.
Submit Written Comments to: Larry Davis, Executive Director, P.O. Box 47206, Olympia, WA 98504-7206, e-mail ldavis@ospi.wednet.edu, fax (360) 586-2357, by March 2, 2005.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Laura Moore, Executive Assistant, by March 2, 2005, TTY (360) 664-3631 or (360) 725-6025.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The purpose is to make permanent the emergency adoption of the changes approved by the State Board of Education at its January 2005 meeting.
The amendments to WAC 180-20-101 bring the rule into compliance with the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) terminology for commercial driver licenses after a positive drug/alcohol test; the changes also bring the rule into compliance with the federal statute regarding refusal to take a drug/alcohol test.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: See Purpose above.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.160.210.
Rule is necessary because of federal law, 49 C.F.R. 382.
Name of Proponent: State Board of Education, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: Larry Davis, State Board of Education, Olympia, Washington, (360) 725-6025.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. Not applicable.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. Not applicable.
January 21, 2005
Larry Davis
Executive Director
OTS-7708.2
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 04-08-055, filed 4/2/04,
effective 5/3/04)
WAC 180-20-101
Minimum qualifications of school bus
drivers.
(1) Every school bus driver must meet and continue
to meet the following minimum requirements:
(a) Be at least twenty-one years of age.
(b) Have a valid driver's license or commercial driver's license, as required by law, issued by the state department of licensing.
(c) Have at least one year of experience as a driver of a truck or commercial vehicle requiring a special endorsement or, in the alternative, at least three years of experience as a driver of a passenger vehicle.
(d) Hold a current and valid first-aid card or equivalent which certifies that the applicant has completed a course in the basic principles of first aid.
(e) Submit to the school district a disclosure of all crimes against children or other persons and all civil adjudications in a dependency action or in a domestic relation action and all disciplinary board final decisions of sexual abuse or exploitation or physical abuse as required by RCW 43.43.834(2) and disclosure of all convictions which may be grounds for denial of authorization under (h), (i), and (j) of this subsection.
(f) Submit to a criminal record check according to chapter 28A.400 RCW which shows that no offenses have been committed which would be grounds for denial of an authorization.
(g) Shall not have misrepresented or concealed a material fact in obtaining a school bus driver's authorization or in reinstatement thereof in the previous five years.
(h) Shall not have had a driving license privilege suspended or revoked as a result of a moving violation as defined in WAC 308-104-160 within the preceding three years or have had their commercial driver's license disqualified, suspended or revoked within the preceding three years; a certified copy of the disqualification, suspension or revocation order issued by the department of licensing being conclusive evidence of the disqualification, suspension or revocation.
(i) Shall not have incurred three or more speeding tickets of ten miles per hour or more over the speed limit within the last thirty-six months.
(j) Shall not have been convicted of any misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony (including instances in which a plea of guilty or nolo contendere is the basis for the conviction) nor under a deferred prosecution under chapter 10.05 RCW where the conduct or alleged conduct is related to the occupation of a school bus driver, including but not limited to the following:
(i) Any felony crime involving the physical neglect of a child under chapter 9A.42 RCW, the physical injury or death of a child under chapter 9A.32 or 9A.36 RCW, sexual exploitation of a child under chapter 9.68A RCW; sexual offenses under chapter 9A.44 RCW where a minor is the victim; promoting prostitution of a minor under chapter 9A.88 RCW; the sale or purchase of a minor child under RCW 9A.64.030, or violation of similar laws of another jurisdiction;
(ii) Any crime involving the use, sale, possession, or transportation of any controlled substance or prescription within the last seven years: Provided, That in the case of felony convictions, the applicable time limit shall be ten years;
(iii) Any crime involving driving when a driver's license is suspended or revoked, hit and run driving, driving while intoxicated, being in physical control of motor vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving, negligent driving of a serious nature, vehicular assault or vehicular homicide, within the last three years;
(iv) Any crime against children or other persons as defined in RCW 43.43.830(5) when the date of the conviction or prison release, which ever is more recent, is within ten years of the date of the job application for felonies and within seven years for other crimes.
(k) Shall not have been found in any dependency action under RCW 13.34.030 to have sexually assaulted or exploited any minor or to have physically abused any minor, within the last seven years.
(l) Shall not have been found by a court in a domestic relation proceeding under Title 26 RCW, to have sexually abused or exploited any minor or to have physically abused any minor, within the last seven years.
(m) Shall not have been found in any disciplinary board final decision to have sexually or physically abused or exploited any minor or developmentally disabled person, within the last seven years.
(n) Shall not have intentionally and knowingly transported public school students within the state of Washington within the previous five years with an expired, lapsed, surrendered, or revoked school bus driver's authorization in a position for which authorization is required under this chapter. Shall not have intentionally and knowingly transported public school students within the state of Washington within the previous five years with a suspended driver's license.
(o) Shall not have a serious behavioral problem which endangers the educational welfare or personal safety of students, teachers, bus drivers, or other colleagues. This subsection shall not be applied so as to deny, revoke, or suspend authorizations to any individual for the orderly exercise during off-duty hours of any rights guaranteed under the law to citizens generally, except where such conduct indicates a safety risk for the transportation of students.
(p) Shall not have refused to take a drug or alcohol test as required by the provisions of 49 C.F.R. 382 within the preceding three years. Provided, this requirement shall not apply to any refusal to take a drug or alcohol test prior to January 31, 2005.
(2) Every school bus driver must also meet and continue to meet the following requirements:
(a) Verification by a local school district that the person seeking a school bus driver authorization:
(i) Is physically able to maneuver and control a school bus under all driving conditions; and
(ii) Is physically able to use all hand/or foot operated controls and equipment found on state minimum specified school buses; and
(iii) Is physically able to perform daily routine school bus vehicle safety inspections and necessary emergency roadside services; and
(iv) Has sufficient strength and agility to move about in a school bus as required to provide assistance to students in evacuating the bus. The driver must be able to move from a seated position in a sixty-five passenger school bus, or the largest school bus the driver will be operating, to the emergency door, open the emergency door, and exit the bus through the emergency door, all within twenty-five seconds.
(b) Provide verification of passing a medical examination every twenty-four months in accordance with the standards established in 49 C.F.R. 391.41 through 391.49, of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. School bus drivers must continue to meet these medical examination requirements during the time between examinations. This requirement does not prevent a school district from requesting a more frequent examination.
(c) Satisfactorily complete a school bus driver training course and each year thereafter, satisfactorily complete a school bus driver in-service training course.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.160.210. 04-08-055, § 180-20-101, filed 4/2/04, effective 5/3/04; 02-18-055, § 180-20-101, filed 8/28/02, effective 9/28/02; 99-08-004, § 180-20-101, filed 3/25/99, effective 4/25/99; 96-20-042, § 180-20-101, filed 9/24/96, effective 10/25/96; 93-08-007, § 180-20-101, filed 3/24/93, effective 4/24/93.]