(1) Each school bus driver must be of good moral character, of good vision and hearing, able-bodied, free from communicable disease, mentally alert, and sufficiently strong physically to handle the bus with ease, and he or she must possess other qualifications prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, including those qualifications described in 49 C.F.R. s. 391, relating to physical qualifications and examinations, and 49 C.F.R. part 40 and part 382, relating to controlled substance and alcohol use and testing, and he or she must hold a valid commercial driver license with a passenger endorsement.
(2) Each school bus driver has the authority and responsibility to control students during the time students are on the school bus pursuant to s. 1006.10. (3) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules outlining requirements that school bus drivers must meet before they are employed by district school boards.
(4) Each district school board may provide a school bus driver training program and may make this program available to private school bus drivers by contract.
(5) Each district school board may implement a safe driver toll-free telephone hotline for motorists or others who observe improper driving or operation by a school bus driver to report such violations to the district school board for investigation and corrective or disciplinary action by the school board.
