MANDATORY FINGERPRINTING OF NEW SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ENSURES A SAFE RIDE By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN

Illinois children who ride school buses will be safer now that new applicants for school bus driver permits are being fingerprinted.

Under a new law which went into effect July 1, 1995, the fingerprints must clear an Illinois criminal background investigation and be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a criminal history check before the applicant can apply to the Secretary of State's office for a permit. Employers must provide certification of this process to my office when the applicant applies for a permit.

This is a key part of the new Safe Ride Program to provide new protections for the 900,000 Illinois children who ride 20,000 school buses daily.

The new law also transferred authority to issue school bus driver permits from the Illinois State Board of Education to my office. New school bus drivers must:

• be 21 years of age or older

• complete an initial classroom course in school bus driver safety including first aid procedures, before applying for a permit.

• complete a medical examination that includes alcohol, drug and tuberculosis tests.

• possess a valid driver's license for at least three years immediately prior to the date of application, which has not been revoked, suspended, canceled or disqualified during this period.

• not have been convicted of two or more serious traffic offenses within one year prior to the date of application.

• pass written and road tests to obtain a new school bus driver permit. New drivers may have to obtain a commercial drivers license (CDL) depending on the type of license they currently hold. Those drivers who must obtain a CDL can choose whether to apply for a full CDL or a School Bus CDL. The School Bus CDL is an option, not a requirement.

Once licensed, school bus drivers must reapply each year. The employer must certify the completion of an annual medical exam, including drug, alcohol and TB tests, and the State Board of Education's refresher training course.

A third part of the Safe Ride law adds convictions to the list of those that permanently disqualify a new applicant or cause the cancellation of a current school bus driver permit. The new convictions include aggravated robbery, vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking, unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and any offenses defined in the Liquor Control Act.

The Commercial Driver Training Section pre-qualifies employees who want to be licensed as Safety Officers (skills testers) for an organization. The company may submit as many applicants as it wants, providing they meet the following pre-qualification standards:

1. They must be 21 years of age or older.

2. They must be an employee of the certifying organization.

3. They must have a valid driver's license for the classifications they will be testing. They must have held this classification for two years prior to applying for the position.

4. They must have a valid School Bus Driver Permit.

For more information call the Commercial Driver Training Section at 708/437-3953.

Many breathalyzer models are available in the marketplace, but not all have been certified by Public Health. Therefore, it is best to contact the Department of Public Health before purchasing a breathalyzer instrument to make sure it has official approval.

For additional information, write Larry Etzkorn, Department of Public Health, Alcohol and Substance Testing Program, 525 W. Jefferson, 4th Floor, Springfield, IL 62761, or call 217/782-1571. •

July 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 15