N.Y. Education Law § 1502: Passengers on school buses

§ 1502. Passengers on school buses. 1. Boards of education of school

districts located entirely or partially in any county with less than two

hundred thousand population or any town which has a population of less

than one hundred fifty persons per square mile are hereby authorized to

permit the following persons to ride as passengers on school buses with

pupils: residents who are enrolled in education or training programs,

including, but not limited to, alternative education programs,

vocational, apprenticeship and job training programs, and on-the-job

training; children under the age of five traveling between home and day

care or preschool programs; and employees of school districts or other

educational or training institutions.

2. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, the

board of education of any school district located entirely or partially

in any county with less than two hundred thousand population or any town

which has a population of less than one hundred fifty persons per square

mile is hereby authorized and empowered, in order to protect the

interests of pupils, to adopt rules and regulations under which any

person would be permitted to ride as a passenger on any school bus that

provides pupil transportation for such district during the hours such

bus is transporting pupils to and from classes providing:

a. such person makes application to the school district, in accordance

with the rules and regulations of the district, and such application is

approved by the board of education;

b. there is regularly sufficient space on such school bus to permit

all pupils to be seated while such bus is in operation;

c. any amount charged such person does not exceed the cost to the

district for transporting a pupil the same distance.

3. Any rules and regulations adopted pursuant to the provisions of

this section may, among other things, establish the maximum number of

persons other than pupils that may ride any bus.

4. Any person authorized in subdivision one of this section to ride as

a passenger on school buses with pupils, may also ride on buses not

owned by the school district but used for transportation of pupils

pursuant to contract, provided the school district and the owner of the

bus agree upon any amount to be charged such person. Such agreement may

include an amount to be paid to the bus owner or school district.

5. In the event any person is authorized to ride on school buses

pursuant to the provisions of this section, the school district shall

maintain records indicating the number of such trips and any revenues

collected therefrom. Any funds collected for such non-pupil

transportation as authorized by this section shall be credited to an

account so designated.