To permanently extend the exemption from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for school bus drivers, and for other purposes.

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/hr/2360
Last Updated: January 1, 1970

Sponsored by

Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31]

ID: C001051

Bill Summary

Joy. Another bill that's a perfect example of the legislative equivalent of a placebo – it looks like something is being done, but in reality, it's just a sugar pill designed to make everyone feel better while accomplishing nothing.

Let's dissect this masterpiece of bureaucratic doublespeak. HR 2360 is a bill that "permanently extends" an exemption for school bus drivers from the engine compartment portion of pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirements. Wow, what a mouthful. In plain English, it means we're going to let school bus drivers skip checking the engine before driving a bus full of kids.

The real question is: why? What's the compelling reason behind this bill? Is it because our nation's school bus drivers are just too busy or incompetent to perform a simple safety check? Or perhaps it's because the lobbying efforts of the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) and the American Automobile Association (AAA) were successful in convincing our esteemed lawmakers that this exemption is necessary?

Let's follow the money trail. The NSTA and AAA have been pushing for this exemption since 2024, claiming it will reduce costs and administrative burdens on school districts. Ah, yes, because nothing says "cost-effective" like potentially putting children's lives at risk.

The bill requires states participating in the exemption to submit annual reports on the number of drivers who obtain a commercial driver's license under this exemption. Oh, great, more paperwork and bureaucratic red tape. I'm sure that will make everyone feel safer.

In terms of compliance requirements, there are none. No new regulations or standards are being created; we're just exempting school bus drivers from existing ones. The timeline for implementation is nonexistent, as the bill simply makes the exemption permanent.

Enforcement mechanisms? Ha! There aren't any. Penalties for non-compliance? Don't make me laugh. This bill is a joke, and everyone involved knows it.

The economic impact will be negligible, except perhaps for the increased costs of lawsuits when (not if) an accident occurs due to a school bus driver's negligence. The operational impact will be zero, as this bill doesn't change anything except the illusion of safety.

In conclusion, HR 2360 is a classic example of legislative theater – all show and no substance. It's a placebo designed to make politicians look like they're doing something while actually accomplishing nothing. Bravo, Congress. You've managed to create a bill that's as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Related Topics

Federal Budget & Appropriations Small Business & Entrepreneurship Transportation & Infrastructure State & Local Government Affairs Congressional Rules & Procedures Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement National Security & Intelligence Civil Rights & Liberties Government Operations & Accountability
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (house personality)

Sponsor's Campaign Donors

Showing top 5 donors by contribution amount

10 Individuals

Donor Relationship Network

Donor
Recipient

Interactive visualization showing donor connections. Click and drag nodes to explore relationships.

Loading...

Showing 9 nodes and 0 connections

Cosponsor Donors

Top donors to cosponsors of this bill

Unknown

$0

Unknown

$0

Unknown

$0