HB2121 EnrolledLRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
5Section 6-106.1 as follows:
 
6    (625 ILCS 5/6-106.1)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-106.1)
7    Sec. 6-106.1. School bus driver permit.
8    (a) The Secretary of State shall issue a school bus driver
9permit to those applicants who have met all the requirements of
10the application and screening process under this Section to
11insure the welfare and safety of children who are transported
12on school buses throughout the State of Illinois. Applicants
13shall obtain the proper application required by the Secretary
14of State from their prospective or current employer and submit
15the completed application to the prospective or current
16employer along with the necessary fingerprint submission as
17required by the Department of State Police to conduct
18fingerprint based criminal background checks on current and
19future information available in the state system and current
20information available through the Federal Bureau of
21Investigation's system. Applicants who have completed the
22fingerprinting requirements shall not be subjected to the
23fingerprinting process when applying for subsequent permits or

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 2 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1submitting proof of successful completion of the annual
2refresher course. Individuals who on July 1, 1995 (the
3effective date of Public Act 88-612) possess a valid school bus
4driver permit that has been previously issued by the
5appropriate Regional School Superintendent are not subject to
6the fingerprinting provisions of this Section as long as the
7permit remains valid and does not lapse. The applicant shall be
8required to pay all related application and fingerprinting fees
9as established by rule including, but not limited to, the
10amounts established by the Department of State Police and the
11Federal Bureau of Investigation to process fingerprint based
12criminal background investigations. All fees paid for
13fingerprint processing services under this Section shall be
14deposited into the State Police Services Fund for the cost
15incurred in processing the fingerprint based criminal
16background investigations. All other fees paid under this
17Section shall be deposited into the Road Fund for the purpose
18of defraying the costs of the Secretary of State in
19administering this Section. All applicants must:
20        1. be 21 years of age or older;
21        2. possess a valid and properly classified driver's
22    license issued by the Secretary of State;
23        3. possess a valid driver's license, which has not been
24    revoked, suspended, or canceled for 3 years immediately
25    prior to the date of application, or have not had his or
26    her commercial motor vehicle driving privileges

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 3 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1    disqualified within the 3 years immediately prior to the
2    date of application;
3        4. successfully pass a written test, administered by
4    the Secretary of State, on school bus operation, school bus
5    safety, and special traffic laws relating to school buses
6    and submit to a review of the applicant's driving habits by
7    the Secretary of State at the time the written test is
8    given;
9        5. demonstrate ability to exercise reasonable care in
10    the operation of school buses in accordance with rules
11    promulgated by the Secretary of State;
12        6. demonstrate physical fitness to operate school
13    buses by submitting the results of a medical examination,
14    including tests for drug use for each applicant not subject
15    to such testing pursuant to federal law, conducted by a
16    licensed physician, a licensed advanced practice
17    registered nurse, or a licensed physician assistant within
18    90 days of the date of application according to standards
19    promulgated by the Secretary of State;
20        7. affirm under penalties of perjury that he or she has
21    not made a false statement or knowingly concealed a
22    material fact in any application for permit;
23        8. have completed an initial classroom course,
24    including first aid procedures, in school bus driver safety
25    as promulgated by the Secretary of State; and after
26    satisfactory completion of said initial course an annual

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 4 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1    refresher course; such courses and the agency or
2    organization conducting such courses shall be approved by
3    the Secretary of State; failure to complete the annual
4    refresher course, shall result in cancellation of the
5    permit until such course is completed;
6        9. not have been under an order of court supervision
7    for or convicted of 2 or more serious traffic offenses, as
8    defined by rule, within one year prior to the date of
9    application that may endanger the life or safety of any of
10    the driver's passengers within the duration of the permit
11    period;
12        10. not have been under an order of court supervision
13    for or convicted of reckless driving, aggravated reckless
14    driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol,
15    other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds or
16    any combination thereof, or reckless homicide resulting
17    from the operation of a motor vehicle within 3 years of the
18    date of application;
19        11. not have been convicted of committing or attempting
20    to commit any one or more of the following offenses: (i)
21    those offenses defined in Sections 8-1, 8-1.2, 9-1, 9-1.2,
22    9-2, 9-2.1, 9-3, 9-3.2, 9-3.3, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3.1, 10-4,
23    10-5, 10-5.1, 10-6, 10-7, 10-9, 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40,
24    11-1.50, 11-1.60, 11-6, 11-6.5, 11-6.6, 11-9, 11-9.1,
25    11-9.1A, 11-9.3, 11-9.4, 11-9.4-1, 11-14, 11-14.1,
26    11-14.3, 11-14.4, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-17.1,

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 5 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1    11-18, 11-18.1, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 11-20.1,
2    11-20.1B, 11-20.3, 11-21, 11-22, 11-23, 11-24, 11-25,
3    11-26, 11-30, 12-2.6, 12-3.05, 12-3.1, 12-4, 12-4.1,
4    12-4.2, 12-4.2-5, 12-4.3, 12-4.4, 12-4.5, 12-4.6, 12-4.7,
5    12-4.9, 12-5.01, 12-5.3, 12-6, 12-6.2, 12-7.1, 12-7.3,
6    12-7.4, 12-7.5, 12-11, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15,
7    12-16, 12-16.2, 12-21.5, 12-21.6, 12-33, 12C-5, 12C-10,
8    12C-20, 12C-30, 12C-45, 16-16, 16-16.1, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3,
9    18-4, 18-5, 19-6, 20-1, 20-1.1, 20-1.2, 20-1.3, 20-2, 24-1,
10    24-1.1, 24-1.2, 24-1.2-5, 24-1.6, 24-1.7, 24-2.1, 24-3.3,
11    24-3.5, 24-3.8, 24-3.9, 31A-1, 31A-1.1, 33A-2, and 33D-1,
12    and in subsection (b) of Section 8-1, and in subdivisions
13    (a)(1), (a)(2), (b)(1), (e)(1), (e)(2), (e)(3), (e)(4),
14    and (f)(1) of Section 12-3.05, and in subsection (a) and
15    subsection (b), clause (1), of Section 12-4, and in
16    subsection (A), clauses (a) and (b), of Section 24-3, and
17    those offenses contained in Article 29D of the Criminal
18    Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (ii) those
19    offenses defined in the Cannabis Control Act except those
20    offenses defined in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 4,
21    and subsection (a) of Section 5 of the Cannabis Control
22    Act; (iii) those offenses defined in the Illinois
23    Controlled Substances Act; (iv) those offenses defined in
24    the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act;
25    and (v) any offense committed or attempted in any other
26    state or against the laws of the United States, which if

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 6 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1    committed or attempted in this State would be punishable as
2    one or more of the foregoing offenses; (vi) the offenses
3    defined in Section 4.1 and 5.1 of the Wrongs to Children
4    Act or Section 11-9.1A of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
5    Criminal Code of 2012; (vii) those offenses defined in
6    Section 6-16 of the Liquor Control Act of 1934; and (viii)
7    those offenses defined in the Methamphetamine Precursor
8    Control Act;
9        12. not have been repeatedly involved as a driver in
10    motor vehicle collisions or been repeatedly convicted of
11    offenses against laws and ordinances regulating the
12    movement of traffic, to a degree which indicates lack of
13    ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable care in the
14    safe operation of a motor vehicle or disrespect for the
15    traffic laws and the safety of other persons upon the
16    highway;
17        13. not have, through the unlawful operation of a motor
18    vehicle, caused an accident resulting in the death of any
19    person;
20        14. not have, within the last 5 years, been adjudged to
21    be afflicted with or suffering from any mental disability
22    or disease; and
23        15. consent, in writing, to the release of results of
24    reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing under
25    Section 6-106.1c of this Code by the employer of the
26    applicant to the Secretary of State; and .

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 7 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1        16. not have been convicted of committing or attempting
2    to commit within the last 20 years: (i) an offense defined
3    in subsection (c) of Section 4, subsection (b) of Section
4    5, and subsection (a) of Section 8 of the Cannabis Control
5    Act; or (ii) any offenses in any other state or against the
6    laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted
7    in this State, would be punishable as one or more of the
8    foregoing offenses.
9    (b) A school bus driver permit shall be valid for a period
10specified by the Secretary of State as set forth by rule. It
11shall be renewable upon compliance with subsection (a) of this
12Section.
13    (c) A school bus driver permit shall contain the holder's
14driver's license number, legal name, residence address, zip
15code, and date of birth, a brief description of the holder and
16a space for signature. The Secretary of State may require a
17suitable photograph of the holder.
18    (d) The employer shall be responsible for conducting a
19pre-employment interview with prospective school bus driver
20candidates, distributing school bus driver applications and
21medical forms to be completed by the applicant, and submitting
22the applicant's fingerprint cards to the Department of State
23Police that are required for the criminal background
24investigations. The employer shall certify in writing to the
25Secretary of State that all pre-employment conditions have been
26successfully completed including the successful completion of

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 8 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1an Illinois specific criminal background investigation through
2the Department of State Police and the submission of necessary
3fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
4criminal history information available through the Federal
5Bureau of Investigation system. The applicant shall present the
6certification to the Secretary of State at the time of
7submitting the school bus driver permit application.
8    (e) Permits shall initially be provisional upon receiving
9certification from the employer that all pre-employment
10conditions have been successfully completed, and upon
11successful completion of all training and examination
12requirements for the classification of the vehicle to be
13operated, the Secretary of State shall provisionally issue a
14School Bus Driver Permit. The permit shall remain in a
15provisional status pending the completion of the Federal Bureau
16of Investigation's criminal background investigation based
17upon fingerprinting specimens submitted to the Federal Bureau
18of Investigation by the Department of State Police. The Federal
19Bureau of Investigation shall report the findings directly to
20the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall remove the
21bus driver permit from provisional status upon the applicant's
22successful completion of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's
23criminal background investigation.
24    (f) A school bus driver permit holder shall notify the
25employer and the Secretary of State if he or she is issued an
26order of court supervision for or convicted in another state of

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 9 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1an offense that would make him or her ineligible for a permit
2under subsection (a) of this Section. The written notification
3shall be made within 5 days of the entry of the order of court
4supervision or conviction. Failure of the permit holder to
5provide the notification is punishable as a petty offense for a
6first violation and a Class B misdemeanor for a second or
7subsequent violation.
8    (g) Cancellation; suspension; notice and procedure.
9        (1) The Secretary of State shall cancel a school bus
10    driver permit of an applicant whose criminal background
11    investigation discloses that he or she is not in compliance
12    with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section.
13        (2) The Secretary of State shall cancel a school bus
14    driver permit when he or she receives notice that the
15    permit holder fails to comply with any provision of this
16    Section or any rule promulgated for the administration of
17    this Section.
18        (3) The Secretary of State shall cancel a school bus
19    driver permit if the permit holder's restricted commercial
20    or commercial driving privileges are withdrawn or
21    otherwise invalidated.
22        (4) The Secretary of State may not issue a school bus
23    driver permit for a period of 3 years to an applicant who
24    fails to obtain a negative result on a drug test as
25    required in item 6 of subsection (a) of this Section or
26    under federal law.

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 10 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1        (5) The Secretary of State shall forthwith suspend a
2    school bus driver permit for a period of 3 years upon
3    receiving notice that the holder has failed to obtain a
4    negative result on a drug test as required in item 6 of
5    subsection (a) of this Section or under federal law.
6        (6) The Secretary of State shall suspend a school bus
7    driver permit for a period of 3 years upon receiving notice
8    from the employer that the holder failed to perform the
9    inspection procedure set forth in subsection (a) or (b) of
10    Section 12-816 of this Code.
11        (7) The Secretary of State shall suspend a school bus
12    driver permit for a period of 3 years upon receiving notice
13    from the employer that the holder refused to submit to an
14    alcohol or drug test as required by Section 6-106.1c or has
15    submitted to a test required by that Section which
16    disclosed an alcohol concentration of more than 0.00 or
17    disclosed a positive result on a National Institute on Drug
18    Abuse five-drug panel, utilizing federal standards set
19    forth in 49 CFR 40.87.
20    The Secretary of State shall notify the State
21Superintendent of Education and the permit holder's
22prospective or current employer that the applicant has (1) has
23failed a criminal background investigation or (2) is no longer
24eligible for a school bus driver permit; and of the related
25cancellation of the applicant's provisional school bus driver
26permit. The cancellation shall remain in effect pending the

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 11 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1outcome of a hearing pursuant to Section 2-118 of this Code.
2The scope of the hearing shall be limited to the issuance
3criteria contained in subsection (a) of this Section. A
4petition requesting a hearing shall be submitted to the
5Secretary of State and shall contain the reason the individual
6feels he or she is entitled to a school bus driver permit. The
7permit holder's employer shall notify in writing to the
8Secretary of State that the employer has certified the removal
9of the offending school bus driver from service prior to the
10start of that school bus driver's next workshift. An employing
11school board that fails to remove the offending school bus
12driver from service is subject to the penalties defined in
13Section 3-14.23 of the School Code. A school bus contractor who
14violates a provision of this Section is subject to the
15penalties defined in Section 6-106.11.
16    All valid school bus driver permits issued under this
17Section prior to January 1, 1995, shall remain effective until
18their expiration date unless otherwise invalidated.
19    (h) When a school bus driver permit holder who is a service
20member is called to active duty, the employer of the permit
21holder shall notify the Secretary of State, within 30 days of
22notification from the permit holder, that the permit holder has
23been called to active duty. Upon notification pursuant to this
24subsection, (i) the Secretary of State shall characterize the
25permit as inactive until a permit holder renews the permit as
26provided in subsection (i) of this Section, and (ii) if a

 

 

HB2121 Enrolled- 12 -LRB101 06067 TAE 51088 b

1permit holder fails to comply with the requirements of this
2Section while called to active duty, the Secretary of State
3shall not characterize the permit as invalid.
4    (i) A school bus driver permit holder who is a service
5member returning from active duty must, within 90 days, renew a
6permit characterized as inactive pursuant to subsection (h) of
7this Section by complying with the renewal requirements of
8subsection (b) of this Section.
9    (j) For purposes of subsections (h) and (i) of this
10Section:
11    "Active duty" means active duty pursuant to an executive
12order of the President of the United States, an act of the
13Congress of the United States, or an order of the Governor.
14    "Service member" means a member of the Armed Services or
15reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois
16National Guard.
17    (k) A private carrier employer of a school bus driver
18permit holder, having satisfied the employer requirements of
19this Section, shall be held to a standard of ordinary care for
20intentional acts committed in the course of employment by the
21bus driver permit holder. This subsection (k) shall in no way
22limit the liability of the private carrier employer for
23violation of any provision of this Section or for the negligent
24hiring or retention of a school bus driver permit holder.
25(Source: P.A. 99-148, eff. 1-1-16; 99-173, eff. 7-29-15;
2699-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)