Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB2623

LRB104 12402 LNS 22669 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2623

Introduced 3/4/2025, by Sen. Laura M. Murphy

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/29-6.3
625 ILCS 5/1-148.3a-5
625 ILCS 5/11-1414.1	from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1414.1

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a multifunction school-activity bus may additionally be used for transportation to a college, university, student job site developed through a partnership with the school, a college or career fair, or an experience that the school determines will contribute to a student's college or career readiness. Amends the School Code to make conforming changes and to provide that a student in any of grades 7 through 12 (instead of grades 9 through 12) may be transported in a multifunction school-activity bus for specified purposes.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning transportation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 29-6.3 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/29-6.3)

Sec. 29-6.3. Transportation to and from specified interscholastic or school-sponsored activities.

(a) Any school district transporting students in grade 12 or below for an interscholastic, interscholastic athletic, or school-sponsored, noncurriculum-related activity that (i) does not require student participation as part of the educational services of the district and (ii) is not associated with the students' regular class-for-credit schedule or required 5 clock hours of instruction under Section 10-19.05 shall transport the students only in a school bus, a vehicle manufactured to transport not more than 10 persons, including the driver, or a multifunction school-activity bus manufactured to transport not more than 15 persons, including the driver.

(a-5) A student in any of grades 7 9 through 12 may be transported in a multifunction school-activity multi-function school activity bus (MFSAB) as defined in Section 1-148.3a-5 of the Illinois Vehicle Code for any curriculum-related or career-related activity except for transportation on regular bus routes from home to school or from school to home, subject to the following conditions:

(i) A MFSAB may not be used to transport students under this Section unless the driver holds a valid school bus driver permit.

(ii) The use of a MFSAB under this Section is subject to the requirements of Sections 6-106.11, 6-106.12, 12-707.01, 13-101, and 13-109 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(b) Any school district furnishing transportation for students under the authority of this Section shall insure against any loss or liability of the district resulting from the maintenance, operation, or use of the vehicle.

(c) Vehicles used to transport students under this Section may claim a depreciation allowance of 20% over 5 years as provided in Section 29-5 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)

Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 1-148.3a-5 and 11-1414.1 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/1-148.3a-5)

Sec. 1-148.3a-5. Multifunction school-activity school activity bus. A multifunction school-activity bus (MFSAB) means a school bus manufactured for the purpose of transporting 11 or more persons, including the driver, whose purposes do not include transporting students to and from home or school bus stops unless authorized by Article XIV of Chapter 11 of this Code or by Section 29-6.3 of the School Code. A MFSAB is prohibited from meeting the special requirements for school buses in Sections 12-801, 12-803, and 12-805 and subsection (a) of Section 12-802 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 96-410, eff. 7-1-10; 97-378, eff. 8-15-11.)

(625 ILCS 5/11-1414.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1414.1)

Sec. 11-1414.1. School transportation of students.

(a) Every student enrolled in grade 12 or below in any entity listed in subsection (a) of Section 1-182 of this Code must be transported in a school bus or a vehicle described in subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (b) of Section 1-182 of this Code for any curriculum-related or career-related school activity, except a student in any of grades 9 through 12 or a student in any of grades K through 12 with an individualized education program Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with a staff to student ratio of 1 to 5, and attending Acacia Academy, Alexander Leigh, Marklund, Helping Hands Center, Connections Organization, Soaring Eagle Academy, or New Horizon Academy may be transported in a multifunction school-activity multi-function school activity bus (MFSAB) as defined in Section 1-148.3a-5 of this Code for any curriculum-related or career-related activity except for transportation on regular bus routes from home to school or from school to home, subject to the following conditions:

(i) A MFSAB may not be used to transport students under this Section unless the driver holds a valid school bus driver permit.

(ii) The use of a MFSAB under this Section is subject to the requirements of Sections 6-106.11, 6-106.12, 12-707.01, 13-101, and 13-109 of this Code.

"Curriculum-related school or career-related activity" as used in this subsection (a) includes transportation from home to school or from school to home, tripper or shuttle service between school attendance centers, transportation to college, university, student job site developed through a partnership with the school, a vocational or career center or other trade-skill development site or a regional safe school or other school-sponsored alternative learning program, or an experience that the school determines will contribute to the college or career readiness of the student or a trip that is directly related to the regular curriculum of a student for which he or she earns credit, or an experience that the school determines will contribute to the college or career readiness of the student.

(b) Every student enrolled in grade 12 or below in any entity listed in subsection (a) of Section 1-182 of this Code who is transported in a vehicle that is being operated by or for a public or private primary or secondary school, including any primary or secondary school operated by a religious institution, for an interscholastic, interscholastic-athletic, or school-sponsored, noncurriculum-related activity that (i) does not require student participation as part of the educational services of the entity and (ii) is not associated with the students' regular class-for-credit schedule shall transport students only in a school bus or vehicle described in subsection (b) of Section 1-182 of this Code. A student participating in an agrarian-related activity may also be transported in a second division pick-up truck registered under paragraph 7 of subsection (b) of Section 3-808.1. For purposes of this subsection, "pick-up truck" means a truck weighing 12,000 pounds or less with an enclosed cabin that can seat up to 6 passengers with seatbelts, including the driver, and an open cargo area. This subsection (b) does not apply to any second division vehicle used by an entity listed in subsection (a) of Section 1-182 of this Code for a parade, homecoming, or a similar noncurriculum-related school activity.

(Source: P.A. 102-544, eff. 8-20-21.)