School Bus Permit Repeal Bill Presented to Governor

On February 8, 2018, LB347 passed its final vote in the Legislature and has now been sent to the governor for his signature. Upon his signature, LB347 will become law, and take effect later this year. The bill eliminates the current requirement that school bus drivers receive a special permit in addition to their properly-endorsed Commercial Drivers License (CDL), removing some obstacles for both drivers and school districts. 
 

Nebraska is one of only two states in the country along with Illinois that requires school bus drivers to earn two different types of licenses to drive a school bus, the CDL and a school bus driver permit. This additional burden has contributed to a shortage of bus drivers in many Nebraska school districts, not to mention headaches for school bus drivers.
 

LB347 will change the duplicative requirement of obtaining both a school bus permit and a CDL.  It also ends the practice of involving two separate state agencies in the permitting process, removing the Department of Motor Vehicles and allowing the Nebraska Department of Education to regulate school bus drivers and authorize them. 
 

This will make Nebraska’s licensing requirements more consistent and competitive with our neighboring states, lessen financial burdens to work, streamline the required testing to meet licensing requirements and hopefully alleviate the shortage of bus drivers faced by school districts.