Bill Overview
Title: Get Our Kids to School Act of 2022
Description: This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) to extend the duration of certain waivers for commercial driver's license applicants seeking to operate a school bus. Specifically, DOT may provide a waiver that grants states, for a period not in excess of one year, the discretion to waive the engine compartment component of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills requirement for a commercial driver's license applicant seeking to operate a school bus. Currently, a waiver cannot exceed three months.
Sponsors: Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
Target Audience
Population: People relying on school bus transportation services globally
Estimated Size: 26000000
- This bill affects commercial driver's license applicants specifically those seeking to operate school buses.
- The bill grants an extension for waivers related to the engine-compartment component of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills requirement.
- Such waivers could make it easier and faster for new school bus drivers to be certified and begin working.
- The potential increase in school bus drivers can directly affect students who rely on bus transportation to get to school, improving reliability and availability of services.
Reasoning
- This policy primarily impacts applicants for commercial driver's licenses who intend to become school bus drivers. By extending waivers, it aims to expedite the certification process, allowing more school bus drivers to enter the workforce more quickly, thereby potentially increasing the reliability and availability of school bus services.
- The primary beneficiaries are anticipated to be students who rely on school bus transportation, indirectly benefiting their families and school systems that manage bus transport logistics. It isn't expected to directly affect those not involved with the certification or reliance on school bussing.
- Given the budget limits, the policy appears to target a procedural inefficiency in the certification process, focusing on streamlining entry into a profession to solve a shortage rather than assigning a direct cash injection into affected communities.
- A variety of perspectives were selected to include individuals most likely involved indirectly, such as parents and school administrators, as well as a potential applicant and current bus driver.
Simulated Interviews
School Bus Driver (Ohio)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The new policy might reduce the workload by having more drivers on board, which could mean less overtime and fatigue for current drivers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Commercial Driver's License Applicant (California)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could make it easier and faster for me to transition into a new career, which is critical for my family's financial stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Teacher/Parent (Texas)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could help in ensuring school buses are always on schedule, which reduces stress and planning issues for parents.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
University Student (New York)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy doesn't affect me directly, but I can see its relevance for families with schoolchildren.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
School Administrator (Illinois)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could ease the burden on the transportation system, which often struggles with driver shortages.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Parent (Florida)
Age: 46 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the policy leads to fewer disruptions in bus services, which affects our daily routines a lot.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Fleet Manager (Georgia)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might streamline hiring drivers, which would alleviate some of the scheduling issues we're facing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Bus Driving Instructor (Michigan)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is good for increasing the number of drivers but might reduce the emphasis on training quality.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Recent University Graduate (Virginia)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It seems like a practical move to make school bus services more reliable for communities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired, Former School Board Member (North Carolina)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I’ve seen bus service issues firsthand — anything that improves this is beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 2: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 3: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The policy does not align with traditional cost-expenditure frameworks, as its primary intent is regulatory rather than financially-driven.
- Costs are more projective with an administrative focus.
- There are considerable benefits in addressing bus driver shortages, which is crucial for school district operations.