Education (School Transportation)

This bill updates Connecticut law to automatically suspend driver's licenses for individuals who repeatedly fail to stop for school buses with flashing red lights. It applies to all licensed drivers, youth instruction permit holders under 18, and unlicensed individuals attempting to operate vehicles. The law establishes specific suspension periods ranging from 30 days to five years depending on the type of violation and whether it is a first or subsequent offense. The commissioner of motor vehicles must enforce these suspensions without a hearing once the required number of violations is documented.

This bill updates Connecticut's school bus regulations to allow hybrid buses alongside zero-emission and alternative fuel vehicles, aiming to reduce emissions while providing flexibility for school districts. It defines hybrid school buses as vehicles that combine a combustion engine with an electric motor and battery system, and establishes a grant program to help municipalities, school districts, and operators purchase these buses and related charging infrastructure. The legislation creates a new state account to fund administrative costs and technical assistance for transitioning to cleaner school bus fleets, with priority given to projects serving environmental justice communities. Key deadlines require 100% of school buses to be zero-emission, alternative fuel, or hybrid by January 1, 2040, though the bill includes proposed deletions that would have required 100% zero-emission buses by 2030 in certain areas.

SB 235 requires drivers' schools to allow students to choose their instructor's gender for behind-the-wheel training (unless only one gender is available), mandates vehicles used for instruction to have GPS tracking and audio/video monitoring systems by 2027, and adds specific safety topics to driver education curricula. These topics include highway work zone safety, avoiding wrong-way driving, and how to safely respond to traffic stops. The bill affects all students enrolled in driver education programs, drivers' schools offering behind-the-wheel instruction, and secondary schools contracting with licensed drivers' schools. It also updates licensing rules for instructors and requires new safety-focused classroom instruction content.