§ 21-3-131 — School bus standards; operators; vehicle operation; liability limited

(a) Each district shall establish and maintain minimum
standards for persons involved in the operation of school buses,
including:
(i) Developing a written plan for the selection,
training and supervision of persons whose duties involve the
transporting of pupils;
(ii) Requiring each applicant for a position which
duties involve the transporting of pupils to complete and submit
an application form that includes a personal and occupational
history;
(iii) Completing a check of the successful
applicant's driving record;
(iv) Ensuring the successful applicant has on file
with the district a copy of the medical examiner's certificate
required by the United States department of transportation,
federal motor carrier safety regulations, 49 C.F.R. Part 391.41;
(v) Requiring annual training consisting of not less
than six (6) hours for persons whose duties involve the
operation of school buses.
(b) Each district shall establish and maintain minimum
standards for the operation of school buses, including:
(i) All school buses shall undergo a safety
inspection not less than two (2) times each school year, with
one (1) inspection conducted by a person not employed by the
school district. A copy of the inspection reports shall be
filed with the local school district;
(ii) School bus operators shall perform a daily
pre-trip inspection of their vehicles and report promptly any
defect or deficiency discovered that may affect the safety of
the vehicle's operation or result in its mechanical breakdown.
Documentation of the inspections shall be submitted weekly and
retained on file with the school district for a period of one
(1) year;
(iii) Operators of school buses equipped with lap
belts shall wear a properly secured lap belt at all times the
vehicle is in motion;
(iv) Passengers in type A school buses equipped with
factory installed lap belts shall wear a properly secured lap
belt at all times the vehicle is in motion;
(v) At least twice during each school year the driver
of each school bus shall hold an emergency evacuation drill.
Proper documentation for each drill shall be maintained on file
with the school district;
(vi) School bus routing and seating plans shall be
coordinated to eliminate standing passengers or exceeding the
manufacturer's rating capacity for the school bus;
(vii) School buses shall operate with lighted
headlamps at all times the vehicle is in motion;
(viii) The service door of the school bus shall
remain closed at all times the vehicle is in motion;
(ix) Any accident involving a school bus which is
required to be reported under W.S. 31-5-1106 shall also be
reported to the state department of education on forms approved
by the department;
(x) Effective school year 2016-2017, and each school
year thereafter, all school buses transporting students to and
from school and to and from student activities, as defined under
W.S. 21-13-320(b)(i) and (ii), shall be equipped with an
external video system and may be equipped with an internal video
system. Equipment specifications shall be prescribed by rule and
regulation of the department. Recordings or images from a video
system installed under this paragraph shall not be a public
record under the Wyoming Public Records Act, W.S. 16-4-201
through 16-4-205. Recordings or images may be entered into
evidence for a violation of W.S. 31-5-507(a) as provided in W.S.
31-5-507(e) and may be discoverable for other criminal actions.
Recordings or images made from a video system under this
paragraph shall be destroyed within one (1) year of the date the
recording was made.
(c) Evidence of a person's failure to wear a lap or seat
belt on a school bus if required under state or federal law or
the failure of a school bus driver to require a passenger to
wear a lap or seat belt as required under W.S. 31-5-1402(a),
shall not be admissible in any civil action or for the purposes
of W.S. 31-5-1402(a).