State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 002 ]

91_HB1869

 
                                               LRB9104525KSks

 1        AN ACT to amend the Illinois  Vehicle  Code  by  changing
 2    Section 6-106.1.

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

 5        Section 5.  The  Illinois  Vehicle  Code  is  amended  by
 6    changing Section 6-106.1 as follows:

 7        (625 ILCS 5/6-106.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-106.1)
 8        Sec. 6-106.1.  School bus driver permit.
 9        (a)  The  Secretary  of  State  shall  issue a school bus
10    driver permit to  those  applicants  who  have  met  all  the
11    requirements  of  the application and screening process under
12    this Section to insure the welfare and safety of children who
13    are transported on  school  buses  throughout  the  State  of
14    Illinois.   Applicants  shall  obtain  the proper application
15    required by the Secretary of State from their prospective  or
16    current  employer and submit the completed application to the
17    prospective or current  employer  along  with  the  necessary
18    fingerprint submission as required by the Department of State
19    Police  to  conduct  fingerprint  based  criminal  background
20    checks  on  current  and  future information available in the
21    state system and current information  available  through  the
22    Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation's  system.  Applicants who
23    have completed the fingerprinting requirements shall  not  be
24    subjected  to  the  fingerprinting  process when applying for
25    subsequent  permits  or  submitting   proof   of   successful
26    completion  of  the annual refresher course.  Individuals who
27    on the effective date of this Act possess a valid school  bus
28    driver   permit  that  has  been  previously  issued  by  the
29    appropriate Regional School Superintendent are not subject to
30    the fingerprinting provisions of this Section as long as  the
31    permit remains valid and does not lapse.  The applicant shall
 
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 1    be required to pay all related application and fingerprinting
 2    fees  as  established  by rule including, but not limited to,
 3    the amounts established by the Department of State Police and
 4    the Federal Bureau of Investigation  to  process  fingerprint
 5    based  criminal  background investigations. All fees paid for
 6    fingerprint processing services under this Section  shall  be
 7    deposited  into  the  State Police Services Fund for the cost
 8    incurred  in  processing  the  fingerprint   based   criminal
 9    background  investigations.   All  other fees paid under this
10    Section shall be deposited into the Road Fund for the purpose
11    of  defraying  the  costs  of  the  Secretary  of  State   in
12    administering this Section.  All applicants must:
13             1.  be 21 years of age or older;
14             2.  possess a valid and properly classified driver's
15        license issued by the Secretary of State;
16             3.  possess  a valid driver's license, which has not
17        been revoked, or  suspended,  or  canceled  for  3  years
18        immediately prior to the date of application, or have not
19        had   his   or   her  commercial  motor  vehicle  driving
20        privileges disqualified within the  3  years  immediately
21        prior to the date of application;
22             4.  successfully  pass  a written test, administered
23        by the Secretary  of  State,  on  school  bus  operation,
24        school  bus  safety, and special traffic laws relating to
25        school buses and submit to a review  of  the  applicant's
26        driving  habits by the Secretary of State at the time the
27        written test is given;
28             5.  demonstrate ability to exercise reasonable  care
29        in the operation of school buses in accordance with rules
30        promulgated by the Secretary of State;
31             6.  demonstrate  physical  fitness to operate school
32        buses by submitting the results of a medical examination,
33        including tests for  drug  use  for  each  applicant  not
34        subject   to   such  testing  pursuant  to  federal  law,
 
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 1        conducted by a licensed physician within 90 days  of  the
 2        date of application according to standards promulgated by
 3        the Secretary of State;
 4             7.  affirm under penalties of perjury that he or she
 5        has  not  made a false statement or knowingly concealed a
 6        material fact in any application for permit;
 7             8.  have  completed  an  initial  classroom  course,
 8        including first aid  procedures,  in  school  bus  driver
 9        safety  as  promulgated  by  the  Secretary of State; and
10        after satisfactory completion of said initial  course  an
11        annual  refresher  course; such courses and the agency or
12        organization conducting such courses shall be approved by
13        the Secretary of State; failure to  complete  the  annual
14        refresher  course,  shall  result  in cancellation of the
15        permit until such course is completed;
16             9.  not have been convicted of  2  or  more  serious
17        traffic  offenses,  as  defined  by rule, within one year
18        prior to the date of application that  may  endanger  the
19        life  or  safety of any of the driver's passengers within
20        the duration of the permit period;
21             10.  not have been convicted  of  reckless  driving,
22        driving while intoxicated, or reckless homicide resulting
23        from  the  operation of a motor vehicle within 3 years of
24        the date of application;
25             11.  not  have  been  convicted  of  committing   or
26        attempting  to  commit  any  one or more of the following
27        offenses:  (i) those offenses defined  in  Sections  9-1,
28        9-1.2,  10-1, 10-2, 10-3.1, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6, 10-7, 11-6,
29        11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18,  11-19,
30        11-19.1,  11-19.2,  11-20, 11-20.1, 11-21, 11-22, 12-4.3,
31        12-4.4,  12-4.5,  12-6,  12-7.1,  12-11,  12-13,   12-14,
32        12-14.1,  12-15,  12-16,  12-21.5,  12-21.6,  18-1, 18-2,
33        18-3, 18-4, 20-1, 20-1.1, 24-1,  24-1.1,  24-1.2,  31A-1,
34        31A-1.1,  and 33A-2, and in subsection (a) and subsection
 
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 1        (b), clause (1), of Section 12-4 of the Criminal Code  of
 2        1961; (ii) those offenses defined in the Cannabis Control
 3        Act  except those offenses defined in subsections (a) and
 4        (b) of Section 4, and subsection (a) of Section 5 of  the
 5        Cannabis Control Act; (iii) those offenses defined in the
 6        Illinois  Controlled  Substances  Act;  (iv)  any offense
 7        committed or attempted in any other state or against  the
 8        laws   of  the  United  States,  which  if  committed  or
 9        attempted in this State would be  punishable  as  one  or
10        more  of the foregoing offenses; (v) the offenses defined
11        in Section 4.1 and 5.1 of the Wrongs to Children Act  and
12        (vi) those offenses defined in Section 6-16 of the Liquor
13        Control Act of 1934;
14             12.  not  have  been repeatedly involved as a driver
15        in motor vehicle collisions or been repeatedly  convicted
16        of  offenses  against  laws and ordinances regulating the
17        movement of traffic, to a degree which indicates lack  of
18        ability  to  exercise ordinary and reasonable care in the
19        safe operation of a motor vehicle or disrespect  for  the
20        traffic  laws  and  the  safety of other persons upon the
21        highway;
22             13.  not have, through the unlawful operation  of  a
23        motor  vehicle, caused an accident resulting in the death
24        of any person; and
25             14.  not  have,  within  the  last  5  years,   been
26        adjudged  to  be  afflicted  with  or  suffering from any
27        mental disability or disease.
28        (b)  A school bus driver permit  shall  be  valid  for  a
29    period  specified  by  the Secretary of State as set forth by
30    rule.  It shall be renewable upon compliance with  subsection
31    (a) of this Section.
32        (c)  A   school  bus  driver  permit  shall  contain  the
33    holder's driver's license number, name,  address,  zip  code,
34    social security number and date of birth, a brief description
 
                            -5-                LRB9104525KSks
 1    of  the  holder  and a space for signature.  The Secretary of
 2    State may require a suitable photograph of the holder.
 3        (d)  The employer shall be responsible for  conducting  a
 4    pre-employment  interview  with prospective school bus driver
 5    candidates, distributing school bus driver  applications  and
 6    medical   forms   to  be  completed  by  the  applicant,  and
 7    submitting  the  applicant's   fingerprint   cards   to   the
 8    Department of State Police that are required for the criminal
 9    background  investigations.   The  employer  shall certify in
10    writing to the Secretary of  State  that  all  pre-employment
11    conditions  have  been  successfully  completed including the
12    successful  completion  of  an  Illinois  specific   criminal
13    background  investigation  through  the  Department  of State
14    Police and the submission of necessary  fingerprints  to  the
15    Federal   Bureau   of   Investigation  for  criminal  history
16    information  available  through   the   Federal   Bureau   of
17    Investigation   system.   The  applicant  shall  present  the
18    certification to the  Secretary  of  State  at  the  time  of
19    submitting the school bus driver permit application.
20        (e)  Permits   shall   initially   be   provisional  upon
21    receiving  certification   from   the   employer   that   all
22    pre-employment  conditions  have been successfully completed,
23    and  upon  successful  completion   of   all   training   and
24    examination   requirements  for  the  classification  of  the
25    vehicle  to  be  operated,  the  Secretary  of  State   shall
26    provisionally  issue  a School Bus Driver Permit.  The permit
27    shall remain in a provisional status pending  the  completion
28    of  the Federal Bureau of Investigation's criminal background
29    investigation based upon fingerprinting  specimens  submitted
30    to  the  Federal Bureau of Investigation by the Department of
31    State Police.  The  Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation  shall
32    report  the findings directly to the Secretary of State.  The
33    Secretary of State shall remove the bus  driver  permit  from
34    provisional status upon the applicant's successful completion
 
                            -6-                LRB9104525KSks
 1    of  the Federal Bureau of Investigation's criminal background
 2    investigation.
 3        (f)  A school bus driver permit holder shall  notify  the
 4    employer and the Secretary of State if he or she is convicted
 5    in  another  state  of  an offense that would make him or her
 6    ineligible for a permit under subsection (a) of this Section.
 7    The written notification shall be made within 5 days  of  the
 8    entry  of  the  conviction.   Failure of the permit holder to
 9    provide the notification is punishable as a petty offense for
10    a first violation and a Class B misdemeanor for a  second  or
11    subsequent violation.
12        (g)  Cancellation; suspension; notice and procedure.
13             (1)  The  Secretary  of  State shall cancel a school
14        bus  driver  permit  of  an  applicant   whose   criminal
15        background  investigation discloses that he or she is not
16        in compliance with the provisions of  subsection  (a)  of
17        this Section.
18             (2)  The  Secretary  of  State shall cancel a school
19        bus driver permit when he or she receives notice that the
20        permit holder fails to comply with any provision of  this
21        Section or any rule promulgated for the administration of
22        this Section.
23             (3)  The  Secretary  of  State shall cancel a school
24        bus driver  permit  if  the  permit  holder's  restricted
25        commercial or commercial driving privileges are withdrawn
26        or otherwise invalidated.
27             (4)  The  Secretary  of State may not issue a school
28        bus driver permit for a period of 3 years to an applicant
29        who fails to obtain a negative result on a drug  test  as
30        required  in  item 6 of subsection (a) of this Section or
31        under federal law.
32             (5)  The Secretary of State shall forthwith  suspend
33        a  school  bus driver permit for a period of 3 years upon
34        receiving notice that the holder has failed to  obtain  a
 
                            -7-                LRB9104525KSks
 1        negative  result  on a drug test as required in item 6 of
 2        subsection (a) of this Section or under federal law.
 3        The  Secretary  of   State   shall   notify   the   State
 4    Superintendent   of   Education   and   the  permit  holder's
 5    prospective or current employer that the  applicant  has  (1)
 6    has  failed  a criminal background investigation or (2) is no
 7    longer eligible for a school bus driver permit;  and  of  the
 8    related  cancellation  of  the applicant's provisional school
 9    bus driver permit.  The cancellation shall remain  in  effect
10    pending  the  outcome  of a hearing pursuant to Section 2-118
11    of this Code.  The scope of the hearing shall be  limited  to
12    the  issuance  criteria  contained  in subsection (a) of this
13    Section.  A petition requesting a hearing shall be  submitted
14    to  the  Secretary  of State and shall contain the reason the
15    individual feels he or she is entitled to a school bus driver
16    permit.  The permit holder's employer shall notify in writing
17    to the Secretary of State that the employer has certified the
18    removal of the offending school bus driver from service prior
19    to the start of that school bus driver's next workshift.   An
20    employing  school  board  that  fails to remove the offending
21    school bus driver from service is subject  to  the  penalties
22    defined  in  Section 3-14.23 of the School Code. A school bus
23    contractor who  violates  a  provision  of  this  Section  is
24    subject to the penalties defined in Section 6-106.11.
25        All  valid  school  bus  driver permits issued under this
26    Section prior to January  1,  1995,  shall  remain  effective
27    until their expiration date unless otherwise invalidated.
28    (Source:  P.A.  89-71,  eff.  1-1-96;  89-120,  eff.  7-7-95;
29    89-375,  eff.  8-18-95;  89-428,  eff. 12-13-95; 89-462, eff.
30    5-29-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96; 90-191, eff. 1-1-98.)

31        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
32    becoming law.

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