Clarifies that school bus for purpose of upgraded penalties in "school zone" criminal drug laws includes any bus owned and operated by board of education or by private contractor.

This bill clarifies that "school bus" in New Jersey's criminal drug laws includes any bus used for student transportation, whether owned and operated by a school district or by a private contractor. It specifically covers buses transporting students to and from school, field trips, athletic events, and other school-sanctioned activities. The clarification ensures that drug offenses committed on these buses trigger the same enhanced penalties as those on school property. This change directly affects law enforcement and courts when prosecuting drug crimes near schools, and it responds to an incident where a school bus driver was arrested for smoking marijuana while driving a contractor-operated bus on a field trip. The bill does not change the penalties but ensures consistent application to all school transportation vehicles.