SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 277

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  June 5, 2020

      The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 277.

      As reported, this bill requires school buses that transport students with special needs to be equipped with: a video camera on the interior of the school bus; a global positioning system; and two-way communications equipment, which may include, but not be limited to, a cellular or other wireless telephone.  The bill provides that video footage and global positioning system data collected from a school bus video camera and global positioning system are not to be considered government records.

     The bill requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, to promulgate rules concerning the installation and use of the video cameras, global positioning systems, and two-way communications equipment; the use of data collected from the global positioning systems; and the retention of video footage, including, but not limited to, the minimum and maximum amount of time that the footage may be retained.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.