Schoolbus safety: child safety alert system.

Existing law requires the county superintendent of schools, the superintendent of a school district, or the owner or operator of a private school that provides transportation to or from a school or school activity to prepare a transportation safety plan containing procedures for school personnel to follow to ensure the safe transport of pupils, as prescribed. This bill would require that plan to include procedures to ensure that a pupil is not left unattended on a schoolbus, school pupil activity bus, or youth bus, and procedures and standards for designating an adult chaperone, other than the driver, to accompany pupils on a school pupil activity bus. The bill would additionally require a charter school to prepare this plan. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to contract for the transportation of pupils attending schools within the district, as specified. This bill would require the governing board of a school district to require that any contract for the transportation of pupils includes the requirement that a pupil shall not be left unattended on a schoolbus, school pupil activity bus, or youth bus, as provided. Existing law requires applicants seeking to renew a certificate to drive a schoolbus or a school pupil activity bus to complete classroom instruction and training, as specified. This bill would require that classroom instruction to also cover the inspection procedures to ensure pupils are not left unattended on a schoolbus or school pupil activity bus. Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse to issue or renew, and to revoke or suspend, a schoolbus, school pupil activity bus, or youth bus driver certificate under certain, listed conditions. This bill would require certain school officials to notify the department when a driver of such a bus has left a pupil unattended onboard after a specified school entity or the driver's employer has ordered and upheld disciplinary action against the driver for the driver's actions and has made a finding that the driver's actions constituted gross negligence, as defined. The bill would authorize the department to refuse to issue or renew, and to revoke or suspend, a bus driver certificate on these grounds. The bill would permit a former applicant or holder of a certificate whose certificate was revoked pursuant to these provisions to reapply for a certificate if the certificate revocation is reversed or dismissed by the department. Existing law requires all schoolbuses to be equipped with certain safety features, as specified. This bill would require, on or before the beginning of the 2018–19 school year, schoolbuses, school pupil activity buses, except as provided, youth buses, and child care motor vehicles to be equipped with a "child safety alert system," which is a device located at the interior rear of a vehicle that requires the driver to either manually contact or scan the device before exiting the vehicle, thereby prompting the driver to inspect the entirety of the interior of the vehicle before exiting. Because a violation of the above requirement would be a Vehicle Code infraction, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating new crimes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.