ME LD1714

Creates a new school bus-specific license endorsement that allows drivers to operate school buses without obtaining a full commercial driver's license (CDL), while still meeting federal Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 requirements

Establishes a school bus learner's permit requiring applicants to be at least 21 years old, hold a valid Maine driver's license, and pass a school bus endorsement knowledge test

Learner's permit holders must be accompanied at all times by a licensed school bus driver or CDL holder with school bus endorsement who is at least 22 years old with at least 3 years of driving experience

Requires completion of a school bus driver's license skills course, with a mandatory 14-day waiting period after permit issuance before taking the skills test; permits are valid for one year

Preserves the existing pathway for CDL holders with school bus endorsements to continue operating school buses in Maine