FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Contacts: 

Walter McClure | walter.mcclure@dmv.ny.gov

Andrew Waite | andrew.waite@dmv.ny.gov

DMV RENEWS EFFORTS TO GET MORE DRIVERS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A SCHOOL BUS 

“Under-the-Hood” Exemption Eliminates Engine Compartment Requirement from School Bus Road Tests

Federal Waiver is Aimed at Reducing School Bus Driver Shortage

ALBANY—As the need for school bus drivers across the country, including in New York, persists, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is reminding prospective school bus drivers about efforts designed to remove barriers to becoming a certified bus driver.

A waiver from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) known as the “Under-the-Hood” exemption allows only Commercial Driver License (CDL) applicants planning to become school bus drivers to skip the pre-trip engine inspection portion of their road test. The exemption is aimed at helping districts in states across the country hire more bus drivers without sacrificing safety, as all other existing school bus inspection and maintenance standards continue to apply.

During their road tests, applicants must still perform the remaining elements of the Commercial Driver License vehicle inspection skills test.

“By continuing to offer the Under-the-Hood exemption, we’re paving the way for more people to get behind the wheel of a school bus, where drivers are needed to perform a critical service in our communities,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, who also chairs the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. “What makes school bus drivers so irreplaceable is their ability to get our kids back and forth to school safely, not their ability to replace a crankshaft.”

DMV first implemented the exemption in January 2024 in support of Governor Kathy Hochul’s initiative to address the school bus driver shortage. Now that the waiver has been extended, DMV will continue to offer it through November 28, 2026, when the waiver is expected to expire.

In addition to offering the waiver, DMV has significantly expanded access to CDL road tests statewide by partnering with third parties to offer these tests rather than requiring applicants to take their skills tests at a DMV site. DMV has also worked with county-run DMV offices around the state to expand capacity for written commercial learner permit exams.

Despite these efforts, the need for bus drivers remains. In August 2022, nearly three-quarters of school district superintendents who responded to a New York State School Boards Association survey anticipated having bus driver staffing shortages that year. Districts still face a shortage, according to the New York School Bus Contactors Association.

“The driver shortage continues to be an issue for our members, with the impact varying by contractor. While we haven’t yet reached pre-COVID number of drivers, we are making progress, thanks in part to initiatives like the S-1 Under-the-Hood exemption,” said Paul Quinn Mori, Vice President of the New York School Bus Contractors Association. “For many potential drivers, the time spent under the hood can be stressful. The S-1 exemption allows these candidates to focus more on safe driving practices.”

The Under-the-Hood waiver applies to new CDL applicants or applicants who previously held, but no longer hold, a CDL and want the School Bus (S) and Passenger (P) endorsements. Applicants who have a current CDL are not eligible for this exemption.

CDL applicants who want the exemption must take the “Limited School Bus” road test.

The exemption requires the CDL Intrastate Only (K) restriction and the CDL School Bus Only (S1) restriction to be applied.

Applicants who choose to get the exemption must pass the “Limited School Bus” road test and visit a DMV office on or before November 28, 2026, to amend their license to a CDL.

Visit the DMV’s website for more information, including a list of steps to get a School Bus Only CDL.

For more information about the DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov or follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Click Here | Download the Press Release

Understanding Future Changes to FMCSA's Safety Measurement System

January 16, 2025 | 3:00 PM

Click Here to Register

Join the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a webinar series to learn more about upcoming changes to the Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology used to prioritize carriers for Agency intervention.

Part 1 of this series will focus on explaining the following three SMS enhancements:

You can review all the forthcoming changes on the CSA Prioritization Preview website.

FMCSA is currently redesigning the SMS web system to display the results of the new SMS methodology. In the coming months, FMCSA will announce the anticipated date for the launch of the new system. Until then, FMCSA will continue to use SMS to prioritize motor carriers for intervention.

The New York State Education Department posted the updated Consumer Price Index (CPI) for May 2024 is 3.9% to be used for contract extensions/multi-year term cost adjustments.

More detailed information can be found on the Pupil Transportation CPI Webpage.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials announced that yellow school buses with Department of Education contracts would be exempt from congestion pricing. This is good news for the school bus industry.

Click Here | NBC NY Article

Senate One-House Budget Bills Released on 03/11/24

Summary of provisions of interest to NYSBCA

Aid to Localities (S.8303-B)

• The Senate modifies the Executive recommendation of $44.9 billion, and adds $1.2 billion, for a total $46.1 billion, as follows:
  
  
• Rejects: - All Executive changes to Foundation Aid, including the elimination of "hold harmless" and redefining inflation. Redirects: - $100 million in unallocated funds to the school-aid run.
  
  
• Adds: $5 million for transportation after 4pm.
  
  

Article VII Proposals (S.8306-B)

The Senate modifies the Executive proposal related to school aid to:

• Expand the proposal that excludes Environmental Bond Act funds for the transition to zero emission buses from being considered revenue, by also excluding federal funds for the conversion.
  
  
• Establish a zero-emission bus agency leadership level-working group to spearhead the implementation of the transition to zero-emission school buses.
  
  
• Extend reimbursement, currently available to small city, central, common, and union free school districts, for the transportation of students below the current 1.5-mile limit when the State Education Department deems there is a safety issue to the Big 5 school districts.
  
  
• Increase funding for school transportation after 4pm in New York City.
  
  
• NEW PART YY -- The Senate advances language directing the Department of Financial Services to create a captive insurance program for commuter vans, black cars, ambulettes, paratransits, and small school buses, which works based off of S.8432.
  
  
• PART K -- The Senate modifies the Executive's proposal to create a Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Act by advancing the Senate's Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Package which includes required safety equipment and features, mileage or age based phase outs for limousines, pre-trip safety briefings, an update to the limo safety website, increased fines for operating a limo with an out of service defect, and the extension of the Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety task force (S.1443-A, S.1442, S.1367, S.1368, S.1370-A, S.1371, S.8376).
  
  
• The Senate additionally supports extending the school bus camera enforcement program authorization, which helps keep our children safe from the dangers of vehicles illegally over-passing stopped school buses.
  
  
• PART I -- The Senate modifies the Executive's proposal to authorize the City of New York to lower citywide speed limits from its current authorization of 25 miles per hour down to 20 miles per hour, and to lower school zone speed limits and traffic calming "slow zones" from 15 miles per hour to 10 miles per hour, to replace it with Sammy's Law (S.2422-B).
  
  
• NEW PART WW -- The Senate advances language to require all public transit operators that receive State assistance to purchase only zero-emissions buses and related equipment beginning January 1, 2029. This legislation also requires a best-value contracting framework to evaluate bids to promote higher wages and benefits and requires the development of a plan to train or retrain impacted auto workers (S.6089).
  
  
• NEW PART EEE -- The Senate advances language to require New York City to establish scramble crosswalks between the hours of 8AM and 4PM near school zones on weekdays (S.2515-C).
  
  
• PART M -- The Senate modifies the Executive proposal to sunset the State's COVID-19 Sick Leave Law on July 31, 2024, by continuing such benefits for employees that work in facilities licensed under Article 28 of the Public Health Law.
  
  
• NEW PARTY -- The Senate advances language to reduce the period from which striking workers are eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits as a result of a labor dispute from two weeks to one week (S.4402).
  
  
• Article VII Proposals (S.8305-B) * PART N (WORKERS COMP)
  
  
• • The Senate modifies the Executive proposal to increase short-term disability leave benefits by implementing a progressive benefit structure over a three-year period and amends employee contributions provided that in no case shall employee contributions exceed $2.20 per week. The Senate also temporarily exempts workers and employers covered by a current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until the expiration of such agreement (amended version of S.2821-B).
    
    
  • NEW PART III -- The Senate advances language to expand workers' compensation coverage for work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (S.6635).
    
    
  • NEW PART Z -- The Senate advances language to allow either party to a Workers' Compensation claim to request a hearing and to require a record of all hearings held (S.8445-A).

NYSBCA’s government relations team is still reviewing the NYS Assembly one-house budget provisions and will release a separate summary shortly. If you have any questions in relation to any of the provisions above please reach out to Brad Gerstman at Brad@gerstmangr.com for more information.

Click Here for the Governor's Announcement

• Wednesday, September 20th at 9:00 am at the NYSDOT Office (Hunters Point Plaza), 47-40 21st Street, Room 834 A/B, Long Island City NY 11101
  
  
• Thursday, September 21st at 9:00 am at the NYSDOT Office, 50 Wolf Road, Conference Room A/B (1st Floor), Colonie, NY 12205
  
  
• Monday, September 25th at 9:00 am at the NY State Office Building, 250 Veterans' Memorial Highway (SR 347/454), Basement Classroom (2/3), Hauppauge NY 11788

These seminars are free of charge and open to all persons involved in the operation of passenger carrying commercial motor vehicles (buses, vans, limousines) including drivers, managers, mechanics, and office support personnel.

Topics to include:

• Strategies to deter high risk unsafe driving behaviors
• Driver safety fitness
• Drug/Alcohol Clearinghouse requirements
• Federal/State regulation driver focused discussion
• NYSDOT/FMCSA operating authority requirements
• NYSDOT semi-annual inspection requirements
• NYSDMV 19A bus driver requirements

Please indicate which seminar date/ location/ # of persons to attend by sending an email to jean-paul.paraskevas@dot.ny.gov.

NYSBCA congratulates Nick and Kayla Vallone on the arrival of their second child, Isabel Quinn, born on August 22, 2023.

Welcome Isabel Quinn to the school bus family.

2023 Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity | Information Session #2

*NOTE* this webinar will be the same as the 5/10/23 webinar.

Click Here to Register

Attend this webinar to learn more about the Clean School Bus grant opportunity and share your feedback. Applications to this funding opportunity are due Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

For more information, please visit our website: epa.gov/cleanschoolbus

If you have any feedback, please email: cleanschoolbus@epa.gov

$400 million in Clean School Bus grants are now available! Applications are open until August 22, 2023.

Click Here for the Press Release

Key Messages and Background Information

• The $400 million grant opportunity through EPA’s Clean School Bus Program will fund electric, propane, and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses that will produce either zero or low tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.
  
  
• This is the first round of funding available as grants and follows the nearly $1 billion the Biden-Harris Administration awarded through the rebate competition last year to fund electric and low-emission school buses across school districts.
  
  
• This 2023 Grant Program is separate from the earlier 2022 Rebate Program, and interested applicants must apply to the Grant Program if interested in this funding opportunity.
  
  
• Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity are (1) state and local governmental entities that provide bus service; (2) public charter school districts, (3) Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, or Tribally-controlled Schools, (4) Nonprofit School Transportation Associations, and (5) Eligible Contractors (including OEMs, Dealers, School Bus Service Providers, and Private Bus Fleets).
  
  
• EPA will provide a combined funding amount to cover both bus and infrastructure costs for all awardees requesting electric school buses.
  
  
• EPA is prioritizing applications that will replace buses serving high-need local education agencies, Tribal school districts funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs or those receiving basic support payments for students living on Tribal land, and rural areas.

To learn more about the clean school bus grant program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates, visit www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.