093_HJ0023

 
                                     LRB093 11161 HSS 12071 r

 1                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly  is  committed  to
 3    ensuring  the  safety  of  school children both at school and
 4    during transportation to and from school; and

 5        WHEREAS, School  bus  drivers  are  a  critical  link  to
 6    ensuring  the  safety  of  school children who ride buses and
 7    other forms of school transportation; and

 8        WHEREAS, School bus  drivers  undergo  a  great  deal  of
 9    training  on  driving school buses but are not required to be
10    certified in first aid or CPR/AED; and

11        WHEREAS, The Illinois Vehicle Code requires school  buses
12    to  be  equipped  with  first  aid  kits but does not require
13    school bus drivers to be certified in first aid  proficiency;
14    and

15        WHEREAS,    The    National    Highway   Traffic   Safety
16    Administration estimates between 8,500  and  12,000  children
17    are injured every year in school bus accidents; and

18        WHEREAS,  Emergency response can be significantly delayed
19    in rural areas where school  bus  accidents  or  crashes  may
20    occur; and

21        WHEREAS,   The   Illinois  Department  of  Transportation
22    reported 6  fatalities  and  832  injuries  from  school  bus
23    crashes in 2000, including 205 school-aged passengers; and

24        WHEREAS,  Having  a  bus  driver trained in first aid and
25    CPR/AED could make the difference between life and  death  of
26    school children in a school bus crash or other related school
27    bus accident; and

28        WHEREAS,  The  American  Red  Cross  and  American  Heart
29    Association  provide  nationally-recognized training programs
30    in first aid and CPR/AED; and
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11161 HSS 12071 r
 1        WHEREAS, The  Illinois  General  Assembly  believes  that
 2    first  aid  and CPR/AED training for school bus drivers is an
 3    important goal to achieve; therefore, be it

 4        RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF
 5    ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the  School  Bus
 6    Driver  Training  Task  Force  is hereby created to study the
 7    factors necessary  to  implement  a  first  aid  and  CPR/AED
 8    requirement for school bus drivers regulated by the Secretary
 9    of State; and be it further

10    RESOLVED,  That  the Task Force shall include representatives
11    from these agencies and organizations:
12        (1) the Secretary of State (or his designee),
13        (2) the American Red Cross,
14        (3) the American Heart Association,
15        (4) the Illinois State Board of Education,
16        (5) the Illinois Association of School Boards,
17        (6) the Service Employees International Union,
18        (7) the Illinois Education Association,
19        (8) the Illinois Association of Pupil Transportation, and
20        (9) the Illinois School Transportation  Association;  and
21    be it further

22        RESOLVED,  That  the  Task  Force shall provide a written
23    report and recommendations to the Illinois  General  Assembly
24    by December 31, 2003.