§4553. General requirements for other vehicles transporting school children.

(a) Buses operated by urban mass transportation systems.--

(1) Buses, other than school buses, operated by urban mass transportation systems for the exclusive transportation of school children shall comply with Federal safety standards and such other safety regulations as the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the department shall provide for such buses.

(2) Buses, other than school buses, operated by urban mass transportation systems for the exclusive or nonexclusive transportation of school children may, at the option of the urban mass transportation system, be equipped with flashing red and amber lights and may be identified by appropriate labeling as carrying school children. This equipment and identifying labels shall conform to those regulations which may be issued by the department under this paragraph. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, buses which are operated by urban mass transportation systems and which are equipped and identified in accordance with this paragraph, shall be considered school buses for purposes of section 3345(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (j) (relating to meeting or overtaking school bus). The department may issue those regulations it deems appropriate to implement this paragraph.

(b) School-chartered bus.--In addition to school buses, school-chartered buses, which are designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, and which are operated by a person holding a certificate of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or the Interstate Commerce Commission, may be used under a short-term contract with a school which has acquired the exclusive use of the vehicle at a fixed charge to transport school children to a school-related event, provided that the vehicle is not used to transport school children to or from their residences or designated bus stops. A school-chartered vehicle may be used without restriction for the transportation of school children with special needs as may be necessary to make reasonable accommodations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327).

(c) Other vehicles.--A motor vehicle used to transport children to or from school or in connection with school activities, which is not a school bus because of its limited seating capacity, shall comply with regulations established by the department for such vehicles. Unless required by Federal law or regulation, the regulations established by the department shall not require vehicles which pick up and discharge school children only at locations off the highway to be of any particular color or to display flashing red and amber lights.

(July 10, 1984, P.L.679, No.146, eff. 60 days; May 20, 1993, P.L.30, No.10, eff. imd.; Oct. 19, 2010, P.L.557, No.81, eff. 60 days)

Notation

2010 Amendment.  Act 81 amended subsec. (b). The preamble of Act 81 provided that Act 81 may be referred to as the Sgt. Michael C. Weigand Law.

1993 Amendment.  Act 10 relettered former subsec. (b) to subsec. (c) and added present subsec. (b).

1984 Amendment.  Act 146 amended subsec. (a).