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House approves moving school-bus inspections to licensed district maintenance shops
Summary
Lawmakers approved House Bill 215 to allow licensed district maintenance shops to perform the twice-yearly safety inspections of school buses (previously performed by highway patrol), while retaining highway-patrol oversight; sponsors said the change would save districts time and an estimated $86,000 annually for public safety.
Representative Roesler introduced House Bill 2-15, saying the measure grew out of interim transportation and safety work and would shift the mechanics of bus inspection from the highway patrol to licensed district maintenance shops while preserving patrol oversight. Sponsors argued inspections had become duplicative, cited roughly 2,000 school buses statewide and an estimated annual $86,000 in savings to the public-safety department.
Representative Hendrickson (a former school-bus driver) described operational benefits and pointed to time lost waiting in lines for patrol inspections; members asked questions and sponsors noted the highway patrol would retain oversight and licensing authority over the maintenance shops.
The House passed HB215 (63–4) and forwarded it to the Senate.
