News

The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) has updated their website to include materials for the 2025 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, which will be held in Austin, Texas June 28-29. On their Safety Competition page, you can find the Driver and Competition Handbook as well as the Judges application. Please feel free to share this information within your state. Here’s the link to the Safety Competition page: https://yellowbuses.org/Conferences-Events/School-Bus-Driver-International-Safety-Competition.

Press Release

Alternative Transportation Position Paper

January 22, 2025

Arlington, VA – Today, the national association representing state directors of pupil transportation released its position paper on Alternative Transportation. NASDPTS has created this position paper because of the ever-expanding need for Alternative Transportation to service Homeless, Foster, Special Education, and various other school transportation needs. This document is designed to help states as they work toward ensuring safe transportation and meeting vehicle requirements as they strive to protect student safety.

“Student safety is our top priority and there is no doubt that children are safest in the yellow school bus. States are, however, increasingly turning to other modes of transportation and we want to ensure that everyone has a resource available to help them navigate the options,” stated NASDPTS President Mike Stier.

Mike Stier thanked NASDPTS President-Elect Tyler Bryan who led the effort on this position paper and his committee for their tireless efforts. NASDPTS Position papers go through extensive review by both the Board of Directors and state directors prior to being released.

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Click Here | 2025 Alternative Transportation Position Paper

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced late yesterday that the deadline for the 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Program has been extended to 4pmET on Tuesday, January 14. EPA expects to aware up to $956 million to fund new, zero-emission and clean school buses. For more information go to EPA’s Clean School Bus Program website: https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a Final Rule establishing FMVSS 305a, to replace FMVSS 305, “Electric-powered vehicles: Electrolyte spillage and electric shock protection.” Among other improvements, FMVSS 305a applies to light and heavy-duty vehicles and includes performance requirements for the propulsion battery. NHTSA is also establishing a new regulation, part 561, “Documentation for Electric-powered Vehicles,” that requires manufacturers to compile risk mitigation documentation and to submit standardized emergency response information to assist first and second responders handling electric vehicles.

This Final Rule is effective February 18, 2025 and can be found here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-12-20/pdf/2024-28707.pdf.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) addressing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 207 (seating systems). The ANPRM applies to seats, seat attachment assemblies, and their installation in passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks designed to carry at least one person, and buses, including school buses.

Here's a link to the ANPRM: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-07-16/pdf/2024-15390.pdf

Comments to this notice are due by September 16, 2024.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced it will hold a listening session pertaining to the development of an updated methodology to determine when a motor carrier is not fit to operate a commercial motor vehicle. FMCSA would like to hear from the public on issues of concern relating to the current Safety Fitness Determination, including, for example, the three-tiered rating system (Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, Conditional) versus changing to a proposed single rating only when a carrier is found to be Unfit; incorporating driver behavior into the ratings; and revising the list of safety violations used to calculate the rating; etc.

FMCSA has released the following notice regarding the listening sessions: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-06-20/pdf/2024-13500.pdf.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published the following Final Rule: Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Incorporation by Reference of a New State Procedures Manual.

In this Final Rule, FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to incorporate by reference the most recent edition of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Inc.’s (AAMVA’s) Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) State Procedures Manual (SPM), version c.0. This rule will require all State driver’s licensing agencies (SDLAs) to use this edition of the manual to follow standard administrative practices required by the States, and other jurisdictions using the SPM when participating in CDLIS. Version c.0 of the CDLIS SPM provides users with instructions on the processes and procedures for using the information system.

This Final Rule is effective as of July 15, 2024, and can be found here:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-06-13/pdf/2024-12882.pdf.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has extended the comment period for the hydrogen proposed rulemaking to July 17, 2024. The deadline for the electric proposed rulemaking has not changed.

Here is the hydrogen extension notice: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-06-06/pdf/2024-12333.pdf.

Links to the original proposed rulemakings can be found below.

As a follow-up to the email below, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published both Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) addressing hydrogen fueled and electric powered vehicles. Links to the notices and their comment deadlines are as follows:

Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-17/pdf/2024-07116.pdf

Comment Deadline: June 17, 2024 | NOW extended to July 17, 2024

Electric Powered Vehicles:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-15/pdf/2024-07646.pdf

Comment Deadline: June 14, 2024

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced it will hold a listening session pertaining to the development of an updated methodology to determine when a motor carrier is not fit to operate a commercial motor vehicle. FMCSA would like to hear from the public on issues of concern relating to the current Safety Fitness Determination, including, for example, the three-tiered rating system (Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, Conditional) versus changing to a proposed single rating only when a carrier is found to be Unfit; incorporating driver behavior into the ratings; and revising the list of safety violations used to calculate the rating; etc.

This FMCSA-based listening session will be open to all interested parties and will take place concurrently with the Texas Trucking Show in Houston, Texas. In a separate notice, FMCSA will formally announce and provide separate registration information for two related virtual-only listening sessions on the same topics to be held in June and July 2024.

The public listening session will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, from 1:00pm to 2:30pmCT. The session may end early if all participants wishing to express their views have done so. The meeting will be held at the NRG Center, 1 NRG Parkway, Houston, Texas 77054 in the Seminar Area next to the Trucking Exhibition. Please arrive early to allow time to check in and arrive in the room. Attendees do not need to preregister for the listening session but are required to register for the Texas Trucking Show using this link: https://texastruckingshow.com/ register.

The full notice can be found here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-06-07/pdf/2024-12530.pdf

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment as it considers the development of a new methodology to determine when a motor carrier is not fit to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in or affecting interstate commerce.

Before proceeding with next steps in the rulemaking process, FMCSA will host a series of one in-person and two virtual listening sessions to gather public comment.

June 25 - FMCSA Safety Fitness Determination Listening Session #1 (virtual)

June 29 - FMCSA Safety Fitness Determination Listening Session #2 (in-person)

July 31 - FMCSA Safety Fitness Determination Listening Session #3 (virtual)

If you are unable to attend any of the sessions above, FMCSA is also accepting written comments through August 7, 2024, at SafetyFitnessDetermination@dot.gov.

Please read our latest blog for additional information and participation guidance for each of the sessions.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to incorporate by reference the most recent edition of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Inc. (AAMVA) Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) State Procedures Manual (SPM), Version c.0. This would require all State driver’s licensing agencies (SDLAs) to use this edition of the manual to provide guidance on the information systems procedures of the commercial driver’s license (CDL) program. Such information includes, but is not limited to, CDL standards, State compliance with CDL programs, qualifications of drivers, and credentials and security threats assessments.

Click here for the link to the NPRM.

Comments are due to FMCSA by March 21, 2024.