2025 -- S 0397

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LC001825

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS'

LICENSES

     Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Zurier, and de la Cruz

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 31-10-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators’

and Chauffeurs’ Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-10-5. Special restrictions for drivers for compensation.

     (a) No person who is under the age of twenty-one (21) years shall drive any school bus

transporting school children or any motor vehicle when in use for the transportation of persons or

property for compensation nor in either event until he or she has been licensed as a chauffeur for

either purpose and the license so indicates. Colleges and universities shall be exempt from the

requirement for a public plate for vehicles used to shuttle only students or employees to various

points within the college or university campus or if a college or university owned or leased vehicle

is used for the occasional transportation of college or university employees or students either on or

off campus provided that the vehicle is operated by a college or university employee possessing a

valid Rhode Island chauffeur’s license or a commercial drivers license with a passenger

endorsement. Provided, however, that the college or university shall operate the shuttle service and

there shall be no specific charge for the transportation of students or employees. The division of

motor vehicles shall not issue a chauffeur’s license for either purpose unless the applicant has had

at least one year of driving experience prior to the application, and has filed with the division of

motor vehicles one or more certificates signed by a total of at least three (3) responsible people to

whom he or she is well known certifying to the applicant’s good character and habits and the

administrator of the division of motor vehicles is fully satisfied as to the applicant’s competency

and fitness to be so employed.

     (b) In addition to the requirements provided in subsection (a) of this section, any person

(hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "applicant") attempting to obtain a chauffeur’s license to

drive a school bus transporting school children shall, prior to being certified:

     (1) Successfully complete a ten (10) hour school bus driver training course conducted by

the department of revenue or the department of revenue’s designee and file a certificate of

successful completion with the division of motor vehicles. The curriculum of that course and the

accreditation of courses offered shall be pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the

division of motor vehicles. Provided, for an applicant who holds a valid commercial driver’s

license, the course shall be abbreviated and reduced in time and shall focus on the specific Rhode

Island requirements for school bus drivers;

     (2) Pass a written examination prepared and given by the department of revenue or the

department of revenue’s designee.

     (3) Pass a driving test in a school bus of a like type which that person will be employed to

drive. The test will be prepared and given by the department of revenue.

     (c) Prior to issuing a certificate to any person who intends to drive a school bus, the division

of motor vehicles shall conduct a search of that person’s motor vehicle record. Any violation of

any safety regulation or conviction of any motor vehicle law in this or any other state shall be

grounds for refusing to issue a certificate.

     31-10-5.1. School bus driver annual training.

     (a) The department of revenue shall promulgate any rules and regulations that it deems

necessary to ensure that a ten-hour (10) training course is provided for all new school bus drivers

(hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "applicant") and a three-hour (3) retraining course is

provided to all renewal applicants on at least a yearly basis. Provided, that for an applicant who

holds a valid commercial driver’s license, the ten (10) hour training course shall be abbreviated and

reduced in time and shall focus on the specific Rhode Island requirements for school bus drivers.

     (b) The training shall include, but not be limited to, defensive driving, the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s School Bus Driver In-Service Series, and instruction in

all state laws, rules, and regulations relating to school buses and school bus safety.

     (c) Prior to any renewal of any certificate of a school bus driver, the division of motor

vehicles shall require proof of the renewal applicant’s having successfully completed the annual

retraining as provided in this section. Every ten (10) years that proof shall include the passing of a

written examination prepared by the department of revenue, or the department of revenue’s

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designee, and conducted by employees of the department.

     SECTION 2. Chapter 31-10 of the General Laws entitled "Operators’ and Chauffeurs’

Licenses" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     31-10-5.2. Temporary school bus driver license for out-of-state holders of commercial

driver’s license.

     (a) A person who is a resident of a state which borders Rhode Island, and which person

possesses a valid commercial driver’s license and a license to operate a school bus in the person's

state of residence, may apply for a temporary school bus certificate or pupil transportation

certificate (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “temporary school bus driver license”) in Rhode

Island, as follows:

     (1) The person is a resident of the border state;

     (2) The person brings to any branch of the division of motor vehicles (the “division”) an

original or certified copy of the following documents which pertain to the person:

     (i) A current valid school bus driver physical;

     (ii) A valid in-force commercial driver’s license;

     (iii) A valid in-force school bus operator license from the state wherein they are a resident;

     (iv) Proof of residency in the bordering state;

     (v) Proof of United States’ citizenship;

     (vi) A social security card; and

     (vii) A letter from a local school bus provider, contractor, or school district, indicating that

the person will be employed as a school bus driver by the issuer of the letter if the person obtains

their temporary school bus driver license pursuant to this section.

     (3) In the event the person brings in the documents listed in this subsection, the division of

motor vehicles shall review the documents. If the division determines the documents appear to be

in order, the division may issue to the person a temporary school bus driver license under this

section. In reviewing the documents, for purposes of this section, the division need only verify that

the documents on their face appear valid; provided that, the division may refuse to issue the

temporary school bus driver license if the division finds irregularities in the documents or has other

reason to believe the temporary school bus driver license should not be issued to the applicant.

     (b)(1) A temporary school bus driver license issued pursuant to this section shall be valid

for and expire one hundred twenty (120) days after its date of issuance.

     (2) Within that one hundred twenty day (120) period, the person may undertake the ten

(10) hour training course provided for in §§ 31-10-5 and 31-10-5.1. If the person undertakes and

completes the training course, and submits proof of such completion to the division of motor

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vehicles before expiration of the temporary school bus driver license, and provided the person

otherwise meets the requirements of this chapter, the person shall be issued a full school bus

certificate or pupil transportation certificate, and shall be subject to the same rules and conditions

as any holder of such a license or certificate.

     (3) If a person operating under a temporary school bus certificate or pupil transportation

certificate does not either complete the training required or fails to submit proof of their training as

provided under this chapter, within the one hundred twenty (120) day period, the person’s

temporary school bus driver license shall immediately be cancelled. The division of motor vehicles

shall mail that person a written cancellation notice of their Rhode Island temporary school bus

driver license.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS'

LICENSES

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     This act would provide that the ten (10) hour training course required of applicants to be a

school bus driver would be abbreviated and reduced in time for applicants who also hold a valid

commercial driver’s license. This act would also authorize the division of motor vehicles to issue

a temporary school bus driver license to certain persons who reside in states bordering Rhode Island

and who meet other requirements.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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