Representative John Carter (TX-31) introduced H.R. 2360, the Driving Forward Act, in the House this week. The bill aims to end a burdensome regulation that requires prospective bus drivers to pass an under-the-hood mechanics test to get behind the wheel.

"When I was in law school, I was a school bus driver," said Representative John Carter. "This profession is filled with people who understand what it means to show up early, work hard, and care for kids. Across the country, there are stories of students being unable to get to school because of bus driver shortages. The most basic requirement for a student to learn is simply being at school. Still, federal bureaucrats created a rule requiring a mechanics test that keeps otherwise qualified individuals out of the profession. We need to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic regulations to fix the nationwide bus driver shortage. My bill makes the current exemption permanent to do just that."

The bill is endorsed by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA), School Superintendent Association (AASA), National Rural Education Association (NREA), National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), and Association of Education Service Agencies (AESA).

"The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) strongly supports the Driving Forward Act as one method to help alleviate the school bus driver shortage. The existing temporary exemptions from the under-the-hood testing requirement have been proven to increase the number of newly licensed school bus drivers without compromising safety. NSTA believes making the exemption permanent will encourage more states to adopt it and lay the groundwork to license even more school bus drivers, which ultimately allows more children access to the safest way to and from school, the yellow school bus. NSTA thanks Representative John Carter for his leadership on the Driving Forward Act as well as Chairman Tom Cole, Chairman Jason Smith, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, and Representatives David Valadao, Troy Nehls, and Keith Self for cosponsoring the bill and looks forward to seeing it get enacted into law," said Curt Macysyn, Executive Director of the National School Transportation Association.   

Original cosponsors of the legislation are Representatives Tom Cole (OK-04), Jason Smith (MO-08), Virginia Foxx (NC-05), David Valadao (CA-22), Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Keith Self (TX-03). Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is expected to introduce the Senate companion bill soon.