SB 1072 Summary

• Requires school districts, charter schools, and private schools to prepare transportation safety plans that include procedures to prevent pupils from being left unattended on schoolbuses, school pupil activity buses, or youth buses.

• Mandates that all schoolbuses, school pupil activity buses (with limited exceptions), youth buses, and child care motor vehicles be equipped with a "child safety alert system" by the beginning of the 2018-19 school year—a device that requires drivers to manually contact or scan it before exiting, prompting inspection of the vehicle's interior.

• Requires school officials to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles within five calendar days after a bus driver is disciplined for leaving a pupil unattended and that action is upheld with a finding of gross negligence, authorizing the DMV to refuse or revoke the driver's certificate.

• Requires classroom instruction for bus driver certificate renewals to cover inspection procedures ensuring pupils are not left unattended on buses.

• Establishes that school pupil activity buses may be exempt from child safety alert system requirements if they have at least one adult chaperone accompanying pupils, maintain passenger lists, and conduct safety checks before departure.