Schoolbuses: passenger restraint systems.

Existing law requires that schoolbuses manufactured on or after July 1, 2004, or July 1, 2005, depending on vehicle capacity and weight, and purchased or leased for use in California be equipped with a passenger restraint system, as specified, at all designated seating positions, unless specifically prohibited by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2020, the State Department of Education, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and any other appropriate or necessary entities to form a stakeholder workgroup to formulate and report to the Legislature a plan for school districts to have their entire schoolbus fleets equipped with passenger restraint systems on or before January 1, 2023. The bill would encourage a school district to comply with the January 1, 2023, passenger safety restraint plan either through retrofitting existing schoolbuses or purchasing new schoolbuses. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2019, the governing board of a school district to complete an inventory of the school district's schoolbuses that includes specified information and to report this information to the State Department of Education. Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime and by imposing additional duties on school districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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, with regard to certain mandates, no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.