Allows transportation network companies to transport students to and from school and school related functions. (gov sig) (EN INCREASE SG RV See Note)
SB 160 creates a new law allowing city, parish, and other local public school boards to contract with transportation network companies, such as rideshare-style providers, to transport students under 18 to and from school or school-related and sanctioned activities. The bill does not require school boards to use these services, but it authorizes them to do so if the company and drivers meet a detailed set of safety and operational standards.
The bill sets requirements for drivers, vehicles, insurance, and monitoring. Drivers must be at least 21 years old, have held a Louisiana driver’s license for at least three years, and pass national and state fingerprint-based criminal background checks plus a child abuse and neglect screen. Companies must provide child safety training, real-time GPS tracking and ride monitoring, technology to detect unsafe driving behaviors, annual vehicle inspections, daily pre-trip inspections, commercial insurance without an exclusion for unaccompanied minors, and an annual public safety report. The law also provides that department rules consistent with the statute, along with the contract between the company and the school board, will govern these services.
The bill enacts R.S. 17:166.1 and expands the legal options available to local public school boards for student transportation by expressly permitting contracts with transportation network companies. It affects school transportation policy, student safety oversight, driver screening, vehicle standards, and insurance requirements, while also creating new compliance obligations for participating companies and drivers. The statute is limited to transportation arranged under this section and does not mandate use of these services by any school board.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little recorded opposition. It passed the Senate unanimously, 35-0, and the House overwhelmingly, 93-1, suggesting general agreement that the measure provides a useful transportation option while imposing strong safety safeguards. The lack of committee transcript material also suggests there was no major public controversy captured in the available record.
The main policy tension in SB 160 is between expanding transportation flexibility for school boards and ensuring student safety when using private transportation network companies. Potential concerns include background screening, child protection, insurance coverage for unaccompanied minors, and whether rideshare-style services are appropriate for transporting children. The bill addresses these concerns by imposing extensive driver, vehicle, technology, and reporting requirements, which likely helped limit opposition; the near-unanimous votes indicate any objections were minimal or unresolved in the available record.