Proposed Regulations Regarding the Paul Lee Schoolbus Safety Law & Invitation for Public Comment (K-12)
In 2016, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 1072, known as the Paul Lee Schoolbus Safety Law. The law was designed to prevent pupils from being left unattended onboard a school bus, school pupil activity bus, youth bus, or child care vehicle by requiring these vehicles to be equipped with a Child Safety Alert System on or before the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year
LEGAL UPDATE
August 28, 2017
To: Superintendents, Member School Districts (K-12) – Humboldt County
From: Ellie R. Austin, Schools Legal Counsel
Subject: Proposed Regulations Regarding the Paul Lee Schoolbus Safety Law & Invitation for Public Comment
Memo No. 21-2017
In 2016, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 1072, known as the Paul Lee Schoolbus Safety Law.[1] The law was designed to prevent pupils from being left unattended onboard a school bus, school pupil activity bus, youth bus, or child care vehicle by requiring these vehicles to be equipped with a Child Safety Alert System on or before the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.
The Paul Lee Schoolbus Safety Law derives its name from a 19-year old student with Autism who died, tragically, after being left inside a hot school bus in Whittier in 2015. The Child Alert Safety System requires the driver to manually contact or scan a device located at the rear interior of the vehicle, thereby prompting the driver to inspect the interior of the vehicle before exiting.
The California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) has proposed regulations to implement the Schoolbus Safety Law which will establish specifications for installation and use of the Child Safety Alert System. The CHP’s Initial Statement of Reasons, which outlines the purpose and necessity of the regulations, as well as the Proposed Text of the regulations, are attached to this legal update. CHP estimates that each system costs approximately $1,115-$1,250 depending on vehicle configuration and individual vendor.
The CHP has invited interested parties to submit comments on the proposed regulations via facsimile to 916-322-3154, by email to cvsregs@chp.ca.gov, or by writing to:
California Highway Patrol
Enforcement and Planning Division
Commercial Vehicle Section
Attn: Officer Joseph Mosinski
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 25, 2017. No public hearing is scheduled on the proposed regulations at this time.
Please contact our office with questions regarding this Legal Update or any other legal matter.
The information in this Legal Update is provided as a summary of law and is not intended as legal advice. Application of the law may vary depending on the particular facts and circumstances at issue. We, therefore, recommend that you consult legal counsel to advise you on how the law applies to your specific situation.
© 2017 School and College Legal Services of California
All rights reserved. However, SCLS grants permission to any current SCLS client to use, reproduce, and distribute this Legal Update in its entirety for the client’s own non-commercial purposes.
[1] The law amended sections 39831.3, 39860, and 40085 of, and added section 39843 to, the Education Code, and amended section 13370 of, and added Article 18, to the Vehicle Code, related to schoolbus safety.
