GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1989 SESSION
CHAPTER 558
AN ACT TO REQUIRE ALL SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS AND ALL DRIVERS OF SCHOOL ACTIVITY BUSES BE AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. 20-218(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) No person shall drive
or operate a school bus over the public roads of North Carolina while the same
is occupied by children unless said person shall be fully trained in the
operation of motor vehicles, and shall furnish to the superintendent of the
schools of the county in which said bus shall be operated a certificate from
any representative duly designated by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, and
the chief mechanic in charge of school buses in said county showing that he has
been examined by a representative duly designated by the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles, and said chief mechanic in charge of school buses in said county and
that he is a fit and competent person to operate or drive a school bus over the
public roads of the State. Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 20-7(a)(3),
the driver of a school bus must be at least 16 18 years of age
and hold a driver's license of Class 'A', 'B', or 'C' and a school bus driver's
certificate, and the driver of a school activity bus must be at least age 18
and hold a driver's license of Class 'C' and a school bus driver's
certificate or a driver's license of Class 'A' or Class 'B'."
Sec. 2. G.S. 115C-245(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) Each local board,
which elects to operate a school bus transportation system, shall employ the
necessary drivers for such school buses. The drivers shall have all
qualifications prescribed by the regulations of the State Board of Education
herein provided for and must be at least 17 18 years old and have
at least six months driving experience as a licensed operator of a motor
vehicle before employment as a regular or substitute driver, but the selection
and employment of each driver shall be made by the local board of education,
and the driver shall be the employee of such local school administrative
unit. Each local board of education shall assign the bus drivers employed
by it to the respective schools within the jurisdiction of such board, and the
principal of each such school shall assign the drivers to the school buses to
be driven by them. No school bus shall at any time be driven or operated
by any person other than the bus driver assigned by such principal to such bus
except by the express direction of such principal or in accordance with rules
and regulations of the appropriate local board of education."
Sec. 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 1989.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 4th day of July, 1989.