Office Of School Bus Safety Created To Keep NJ Students Safer

NEW JERSEY — A new statewide office will oversee the school bus industry in an effort to keep New Jersey students safe while they are on their way to or from school.

A bill to create a statewide Office of School Bus Safety was signed into law Tuesday. This new office will be under the Department of Education and will be responsible for making sure school bus drivers are certified, checking drivers' backgrounds, and recommending changes to school bus safety rules and regulations.

Garden State politicians have pushed for legislative change since 2018, when a tragic crash on I-80 killed a student and teacher from Paramus.

Also that year, a school bus driver from Paterson was accused of driving drunk and under a suspended license.

In late 2018, Gov. Phil Murphy signed 6 school bus safety bills into law.

New Jersey Assembly members Christopher Tully (D-Bergen, Passaic), Lisa Swain (D-Bergen, Passaic) and Daniel Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex) announced this new office Tuesday.

“Right now, a lack of communication between the different entities responsible for school bus oversight is making it easier for bad actors to take advantage of the system and win contracts they are not qualified to fulfill," the three Assembly members said in a joint statement. "The safety of New Jersey children must be our priority. Establishing an Office of School Bus Safety will help place oversight in the hands of experienced and dedicated professionals who will conduct thorough reviews, coordinate information on behalf of state officials, and make recommendations for important changes to improve our state’s school bus industry. This is how we keep our students safe.”