N.Y. Education Law § 3624: Drivers, monitors and attendants

§ 3624. Drivers, monitors and attendants. The commissioner shall

determine and define the qualifications of drivers, monitors and

attendants and shall make the rules and regulations governing the

operation of all transportation facilities used by pupils which rules

and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, a maximum speed of

fifty-five miles per hour for school vehicles engaged in pupil

transportation that are operated on roads, interstates or other

highways, parkways or bridges or portions thereof that have posted speed

limits in excess of fifty-five miles per hour, prohibitions relating to

smoking, eating and drinking and any and all other acts or conduct which

would otherwise impair the safe operation of such transportation

facilities while actually being used for the transport of pupils. The

employment of each driver, monitor and attendant shall be approved by

the chief school administrator of a school district for each school bus

operated within such chief school administrator's district. For the

purpose of determining such driver, monitor and attendant's physical

fitness, each driver, monitor and attendant may be examined on order of

the chief school administrator by a duly licensed physician or nurse

practitioner within two weeks prior to the beginning of service in each

school year as a school bus driver, monitor or attendant. The report of

the physician or certified nurse practitioner, in writing, shall be

considered by the chief school administrator in determining the fitness

of the driver to operate or continue to operate any transportation

facilities used by pupils and in determining the fitness of any monitor

or attendant to carry out such monitor or attendant's functions on such

transportation facilities. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a

school district from imposing a more restrictive speed limit policy for

the operation of school vehicles engaged in pupil transportation than

the speed limit policy established by the commissioner.