SCHOOLS/BUS OPERATORS: Grants certain powers, duties, and responsibilities relative to a school bus operator's probationary term of employment to the superintendent instead of the school board
HB 434 changes Louisiana's rules for school bus operators during their three-year probationary period. It shifts the authority to dismiss or discharge these operators from the school board to the superintendent, who must provide written reasons and allow the operator seven days to respond. The bill also maintains existing requirements for automatic dismissal if an operator is convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (DUI), regardless of when the offense occurred. This directly affects school bus operators in probationary employment across Louisiana's public school systems.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 25, 2026
Signed Jun 1, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB434 Original
→
HB434 Act 645
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill shifts the authority to dismiss school bus operators during their probationary period from the school board to the superintendent. This change streamlines the process by allowing the superintendent to immediately discharge an operator convicted of driving under the influence or related offenses, removing the need for a board vote. The operator retains the right to respond in writing within seven days, but the decision-making power now rests solely with the superintendent.
Scope change
The bill's scope of authority changed from a collective school board decision to an individual superintendent decision regarding probationary dismissals.
ENFORCEMENT
Authority to dismiss probationary bus operators for DUI offenses was transferred from the school board to the superintendent.
REQUIREMENT
The requirement for a written recommendation accompanied by valid reasons from the superintendent to the school board was removed.
The superintendent is now required to provide the reasons for dismissal in writing directly to the operator.
TIMELINE
The operator is granted seven days to respond in person or in writing to the dismissal notice.
Floor votes · Senate May 25, 2026 · House Mar 30, 2026
How they voted
39–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
May 25, 2026
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican28
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 19, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Mar 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (11-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Roger Wilder
RRepublican
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