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MANDATORY FINGERPRINTING OF
NEW SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS
ENSURES A SAFE RIDE
By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN
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Illinois children who ride school buses will be safer
now that new applicants for school bus driver permits
are being fingerprinted.
Under a new law which went into effect July 1,
1995, the fingerprints must clear an Illinois criminal
background investigation and be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a criminal history check
before the applicant can apply to the Secretary of
State's office for a permit. Employers must provide
certification of this process to my office when the applicant applies for a permit.
This is a key part of the new Safe Ride Program to
provide new protections for the 900,000 Illinois children who ride 20,000 school buses daily.
The new law also transferred authority to issue
school bus driver permits from the Illinois State Board
of Education to my office. New school bus drivers
must:
• be 21 years of age or older
• complete an initial classroom course in school bus
driver safety including first aid procedures, before
applying for a permit.
• complete a medical examination that includes alcohol, drug and tuberculosis tests.
• possess a valid driver's license for at least three
years immediately prior to the date of application,
which has not been revoked, suspended, canceled
or disqualified during this period.
• not have been convicted of two or more serious
traffic offenses within one year prior to the date of
application.
• pass written and road tests to obtain a new school
bus driver permit. New drivers may have to obtain
a commercial drivers license (CDL) depending on
the type of license they currently hold. Those drivers who must obtain a CDL can choose whether to
apply for a full CDL or a School Bus CDL. The
School Bus CDL is an option, not a requirement.
Once licensed, school bus drivers must reapply each
year. The employer must certify the completion of an
annual medical exam, including drug, alcohol and TB
tests, and the State Board of Education's refresher training course.
A third part of the Safe Ride law adds convictions to
the list of those that permanently disqualify a new applicant or cause the cancellation of a current school bus
driver permit. The new convictions include aggravated
robbery, vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking, unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody
of the Department of Corrections, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and any offenses defined in the
Liquor Control Act.
Third Party Certification
On July 1,1995, the Secretary of State's office also
expanded Third Party Certification Programs to include pupil transportation. The free certification program allows employees to conduct skills tests for their
companies on a state approved testing course.
The Commercial Driver Training Section pre-qualifies employees who want to be licensed as Safety
Officers (skills testers) for an organization. The company may submit as many applicants as it wants, providing they meet the following pre-qualification standards:
- They must be 21 years of age or older.
- They must be an employee of the certifying organization.
- They must have a valid driver's license for the
classifications they will be testing. They must
have held this classification for two years prior to
applying for the position.
- They must have a valid School Bus Driver Permit.
For more information call the Commercial Driver
Training Section at 708/437-3953.
Breathalyzer Instrument Information
Available for Local Police Departments
Local police departments with questions about
blood alcohol content breathalyzer testing instruments
used to expedite DUI cases should contact the Department of Public Health in Springfield.
Many breathalyzer models are available in the marketplace, but not all have been certified by Public
Health. Therefore, it is best to contact the Department
of Public Health before purchasing a breathalyzer instrument to make sure it has official approval.
For additional information, write Larry Etzkorn,
Department of Public Health, Alcohol and Substance
Testing Program, 525 W. Jefferson, 4th Floor, Springfield, IL 62761, or call 217/782-1571. •
July 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 15
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