Sponsored by:
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Extends service life of school buses by one year.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act extending the service life of school buses and amending P.L.1983, c.206.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. School buses manufactured prior to April 1, 1977, other than those of the transit type whose gross vehicle weight (G.V.W.) exceeds 25,000 pounds, shall not be used for pupil transportation purposes beyond the end of the tenth year from the date of manufacture, as noted on the vehicle registration, or at the end of the school year in which that date falls, whichever is later. School buses manufactured on or after April 1, 1977 and before January 1, 2007, other than those of the transit type whose gross vehicle weight (G.V.W.) exceeds 25,000 pounds, shall not be used for pupil transportation purposes beyond the end of the twelfth year from the date of manufacture, as noted on the vehicle registration, or at the end of the school year in which that date falls, whichever is later. School buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2007, and school buses manufactured prior to January 1, 2007 that have been installed with closed crankcase technology pursuant to the provisions of section 6 of P.L.2005, c.219 (C.26:2C-8.31) and any regulations promulgated thereunder, other than those of the transit type whose gross vehicle weight (G.V.W.) exceeds 25,000 pounds, shall not be used for pupil transportation purposes beyond the end of the [fifteenth] sixteenth year from the date of manufacture, as noted on the vehicle registration, or at the end of the school year in which that date falls, whichever is later.
Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, a "Type S" school bus as defined by N.J.A.C.13:20-51.2 shall not be used for pupil transportation purposes beyond the end of the [twelfth] thirteenth year from the date of manufacture, as noted on the vehicle registration, or at the end of the school year in which that date falls, whichever is later.
Nothing provided herein shall be construed to allow the use of any school bus for pupil transportation purposes if that school bus is determined to be unsafe or unfit for pupil transportation.
(cf: P.L.2011, c.130, s.1)
2. Section 2 of P.L.1983, c.206 (C.39:3B-5.2) is amended to read as follows:
School buses of the transit type whose gross vehicle weight (G.V.W.) exceeds 25,000 pounds shall not be used for pupil transportation purposes beyond the end of the [twentieth] twenty-first year from the date of manufacture, as noted on the vehicle registration, or at the end of the school year in which that date falls, whichever is later.
Nothing provided herein shall be construed to allow the use of any school bus for pupil transportation purposes if that school bus is determined to be unsafe or unfit for pupil transportation.
(cf: P.L.1983, c.206, s.2)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill extends the statutorily permitted service life of school buses by one year. This bill is intended to provide relief to school districts that are experiencing a shortage of school bus inventory as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other outside factors. The bill explicitly provides that its provisions are not to be construed to allow the use of any school bus for pupil transportation purposes if the school bus is determined to be unsafe or unfit for pupil transportation.