News & Insights

It is inevitable that a school bus contractor will receive an inquiry from the media after a notable event. Or perhaps a school bus contractor would like to share a good news story with neighbors and the school community. In both instances, knowing how to present your company in the most postive light is critical.

In January of this year Act 43 of 2017 created a new tax witholing obligation for Pennsylvania business. The new law aims to assure that non-residents of Pennsylvania pay their fair share of income tax owed on revenue generated from Pennsylvania based business. The new law aims to assure that non-residents of Pennsylvania pay their fair share of income tax owed on revenue generated from Pennsylvania based businesses.

The increased presence of drugs and alcohol has become a common topic of discussion, not only in the media, but in the workplace as well. While the country as a whole faces epidemic proportions of overdose cases each year, employers are confronted on a daily basis with a myriad of intoxication levels, including legal levels. Employers must take steps each and every day to ensure a safe work place, minimize accidents and losses, and consistently apply a written drug and alcohol policy. This artic...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains strigent requirements for drug and alcohol testing in addition employers should have effective written policies about testing and dealing with positive tests when they occur. Test accuracy, prescription medications, and other factors often arise as issues that must be considered and reconciled. This article will review a school bus contracto's responsibilities related to FMCSA Random Drug & Alcohol tests, as well as review h...

In September 2017, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced H.R.3703, the No School Bus Drivers with DUIs Act, aimed at prohibiting state and local education agencies from hiring school bus drivers who have been previously convicted of a DUI. This bill stems from recent national news stories reporting on isolated incidents of poor background check protocols. The NSTA and related trade associations responded earlier this year to news reports circulated by CBS News alleging poor search practices, and ref...

According to the General Duties Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), 29 U.S.C. § 654, each employer must furnish employees a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause serious physical harm to employees. In the school bus industry that usually means protection from school bus violence. In January, 2017, OSHA fined a Pennsylvania psychiatric hospital $32,000 for exposing its employees to workplace violence caused by patients. Similarly, a Massach...

In 2014 New York legalized medical marijuana with passage of the Compassionate Care Act (CCA). This NY state law allows doctors to prescribe marijuana in a non-smokable form to patients with serious ailments that are recognized by the state on a predefined list of conditions. New York is one of twenty-nine states in the U.S. to have legalized marijuana. But, all of the state laws legalizing marijuana are in conflict with current federal law. This article discusses the conflict of the New York la...