Bipartisan NJ Legislative Disability Caucus Examines School Bus Safety for Students with Disabilities

The New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus convened for a session focused on school bus safety for students with disabilities, bringing together state officials, task force leadership, and advocates to examine current protections and the path toward stronger protocols. The session was led by Caucus Co-Chair, Senate Minority Leader Anthony M. Bucco.

Mercedes Witowsky, Executive Director of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, opened the meeting and welcomed attendees on behalf of the bipartisan caucus.

"Every student deserves a safe ride to and from school, and that responsibility carries even greater weight for our students with disabilities, who often depend on transportation staff for their most basic safety and well-being," said Witowsky. "This caucus exists so that lawmakers hear directly from the families, advocates, and agencies working every day to make sure that trust is honored."

In his opening remarks, Senator Bucco outlined why he chose to prioritize the topic, citing feedback from constituents and his sponsorship of S2456, legislation that would require school bus personnel to contact 911 in life-threatening emergencies and would establish related reporting, recordkeeping, and safety equipment standards for buses transporting students with disabilities.

"Cameras on school buses, clear emergency protocols, and real accountability are not optional extras, they are basic safeguards that our most vulnerable students deserve," said Senator Bucco. "This legislation was born out of real experiences and real loss, and I will not let it sit on a shelf. We owe it to families who have experienced this kind of loss to get this right.”

Kim Murray, Ed.D., Acting Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, updated caucus members on the work of the Office of Special Education and the Office of School Bus Safety, including driver training programs, a new public-facing website, a partnership with Safe Kids New Jersey, a case-processing system for transportation contractors, and an ongoing partnership with Rutgers University on a statewide school bus safety study. Murray also addressed the challenges of monitoring compliance across New Jersey's roughly 600 school districts and regional difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified bus drivers.

Christine Bakter, Deputy Director of New Jersey's Office of the Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families, provided an update on the Special Education Transportation Task Force, formed under the NJDOE Office of Special Education. Bakter outlined the task force's statutory charge and its three principal areas of focus: emergency policies and training, certification and staffing, and IEP integration and family education, and described its work examining current policies and practices in other states to identify gaps and shape recommendations.

The session also included testimony from Anabela Rossi, a family advocate who shared her family's experience with the loss of her son Matthew during school transport. Rossi described gaps in communication and emergency protocols and called for physical safety measures and individualized transportation plans for students with disabilities, urging continued support for S2456/A4479.

Caucus members and speakers closed the session with a shared commitment to continued collaboration on school transportation safety, including tracking the timeline for the Rutgers safety study and reviewing whether task force meetings can be opened to the public.

A recording of the July 28 session and related resources will be posted at njcdd.org/legislative-disability-caucus-schedule-and-recording.

Next Session:

The next meeting of the NJ Legislative Disability Caucus is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2026, and will be led by Caucus Co-Chair Senator M. Teresa Ruiz.

About the New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus

Formed in December 2020, the Caucus is a bipartisan forum within the New Jersey Legislature for lawmakers and their staff to consider the impact on the disability community when shaping all public policies in the Garden State. The Caucus is co-chaired by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29), Assembly Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald (D-6), Republican Leader Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R-25), and Assistant Minority Whip Aura K. Dunn (R-25). Participation in the Caucus is open to all legislators who agree to be champions for individuals with disabilities in New Jersey by meeting with them in their district offices, participating in quarterly education forums, and promoting policies to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families. People with disabilities, their families, and organizations that serve, support, and advocate for people with disabilities in the Garden State serve as a resource for the NJ Legislative Disability Caucus. For more information about the Caucus and to get involved, visit njcdd.org/legislative-disability-caucus.