22.1-178 - Requirements for persons employed to drive school buses. - Virginia Statutes

§ 22.1-178. Requirements for persons employed to drive school buses.

A. No school board shall hire, employ, or enter into any agreement with anyperson for the purposes of operating a school bus transporting pupils unlessthe person proposed to so operate such school bus shall:

1. Have a physical examination of a scope prescribed by the Board ofEducation with the advice of the Medical Society of Virginia and furnish aform prescribed by the Board of Education showing the results of suchexamination.

2. Furnish a statement or copy of records from the Department of MotorVehicles showing that the records of such Department do not disclose that theperson, within the preceding five years, has been convicted upon a charge ofdriving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, convicted of a felony orassigned to any alcohol safety action program or driver alcoholrehabilitation program pursuant to § 18.2-271.1 or, within the precedingtwelve months, has been convicted of two or more moving traffic violations orrequired to attend a driver improvement clinic by the Commissioner of theDepartment of Motor Vehicles pursuant to § 46.2-498.

3. Furnish a statement signed by two reputable persons who reside in theschool division or in the applicant's community that the person is of goodmoral character.

4. Exhibit a license showing the person has successfully undertaken theexamination prescribed by § 46.2-339.

5. Have reached the age of eighteen on the first day of the school year.

B. Any school board may require successful completion of the AmericanNational Red Cross first-aid course or its equivalent as a condition toemployment to operate a school bus transporting pupils.

C. School boards may require persons accepting employment after July 1, 1994,as a driver of a school bus transporting pupils to agree, as a condition ofemployment, to submit to alcohol and controlled substance testing. Any suchtests shall be conducted in compliance with Board of Education regulations.

D. The documents required pursuant to subdivisions A 1 and A 2 of thissection shall be furnished annually prior to the anniversary date of theemployment agreement as a condition to continuing employment to operate aschool bus.

E. The documents required pursuant to this section shall be filed with, andmade a part of, the records of the school board employing such person as aschool bus operator.

F. The State Department of Education shall furnish to the several divisionsuperintendents the necessary forms to be used by applicants in furnishingthe information required by this section. Insofar as practicable, such formsshall be designed to limit paperwork, avoid the possibility of mistake, andfurnish all parties involved with a complete and accurate record of theinformation required.

G. The physical examination required by subsection A may be performed and thereport of the results signed by a licensed nurse practitioner or physicianassistant.

(Code 1950, § 22-276.1; 1962, c. 544; 1966, c. 604; 1970, c. 696; 1972, c.359; 1973, c. 170; 1976, cc. 116, 123; 1977, c. 393; 1978, c. 322; 1979, c.126; 1980, c. 559; 1992, c. 130; 1993, c. 285; 1994, c. 104; 1998, c. 287;2001, c. 445; 2006, c. 396.)