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Congress·In Committee·S. 1284

Driving Forward Act

School Bus Drivers: Permanent Exemption for Engine Inspections

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill makes it easier for people to become school bus drivers by removing a specific part of the commercial driver's license test. It permanently gets rid of the 'under-the-hood' engine inspection requirement, which many potential drivers found difficult or unnecessary.
  • The goal is to help fix the national shortage of school bus drivers. Supporters of the change argue that drivers do not need to know how to inspect engine parts like belts and hoses because school districts usually have professional mechanics to handle all engine maintenance and repairs.
  • States that decide to use this new rule will have to keep track of their progress. For the next six years, they must send an annual report to the Department of Transportation showing exactly how many new drivers were licensed under this specific exemption.
  • This action turns a temporary rule into a permanent law. It follows a 2024 decision by the Department of Transportation to allow this shortcut as a way to help schools get more buses on the road and ensure students have reliable transportation to class.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Apr 3, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Related Bills

1 bill
H.R. 2360Related bill

To permanently extend the exemption from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for school bus drivers, and for other purposes.

Mar 26 — Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Driving Forward Act

Bill NumberS 1284
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(7)
D: 3R: 4

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.