Benson, Swain & Tully School Bus Safety Bill

Signed into Law Thursday

(TRENTON) – Better preparing school districts to meet student transportation needs, legislation that would require certain school district supervisors complete an educational program at Rutgers University was signed by the Governor today.

The legislation was among nearly a dozen bills sponsored by Assembly members Daniel Benson, Lisa Swain and Chris Tully aiming to strengthen bus safety laws and protections for student riders in New Jersey.

“We cannot be lax when it comes to the safety and security of our children,” said Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “Education and training will go a long way to help school administrators coordinating school buses do their best job ensuring that students are transported safely to and from school.”

The new law (formerly bill A-2436), a district transportation supervisor who is newly hired or who has less than 11 years of experience as a school district transportation supervisor will be required to take courses focused on statutes and regulations that apply to school transportation operations. The transportation supervisor and the school district would determine who bears the cost of the program.

“District transportation supervisors should know the law and how to ensure our children who ride the school bus are kept safe,” said Swain (D- Bergen, Passaic). “This course should be a requirement of all transportation supervisors working in our school districts.”

“Requiring additional training on New Jersey law for district transportation supervisor better prepares them to do their job ensuring children are safe while riding the school bus,” said Tully (Bergen, Passaic). “This new law supports student rider safety and safer school bus operations in our school district.”

The Center for Government Services at Rutgers offers the School Transportation Supervisors Certification Program.