House Bills 5742 and 5743
Sponsor: Rep. Richard LeBlanc
Committee: Appropriations
Complete to 6-22-10
House Bills 5742 and 5743 make it optional for the State Police to continue to perform school bus inspections. HB 5742 revises the Michigan Vehicle Code to amend the provision that says the State Police shall inspect each school bus to make it say that the State Police may inspect each school bus. HB 5742 also changes the requirement that the State Police shall promulgate rules for school bus safety equipment to the State Police may promulgate these rules.
HB 5743 revises the Pupil Transportation Act in a similar way to that of HB 5742 by also changing the provision that says the State Police shall inspect each school bus annually to say that the State Police may inspect each school bus annually. Additionally, HB 5743 allows other inspectors and inspecting organizations to conduct school bus inspections besides official State Police inspectors.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2010 State Police budget (SB 253, PA 133 of 2009) appropriates 15.0 FTEs and $1,432,900 from Local School Bus Revenue in the School Bus Inspections line. For the FY 2011 State Police budget (HB 5888), the Executive Recommendation decreases the School Bus Inspections line to 4.0 FTEs and $421,000 in Local School Bus Revenue. Both the House and Senate passed versions of HB 5888 concur with the Executive Recommendation for these changes in the School Bus Inspections line.
The Executive Recommendation also included changing the school bus inspection related statutes to allow the State Police to randomly and intermittently perform audits and inspections, where schools would be responsible for certifying their own mechanics or private mechanics.
The State Police supports these bills and would continue to provide a basic level of auditing school bus inspections, especially those schools that have a history of problems with their buses. The FY 2011 Executive Recommendation provides sufficient funding for the State Police to perform these services.
Fiscal Analyst: Jan Wisniewski
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.