News & Insights

​School bus drivers know that nearly every school bus is equipped with audio/video recording equipment. Drivers also know that most students travel with a cell phone that has audio/video recording capability. As a result, drivers often have to deal with students making their own audio/video recordings on the school bus when incidents or accidents occur. How should a driver respond when students are recording a school bus incident, or when students are recording the driver disciplining students?...

The RC Kelly team participated in another successful NSTA Bus In on Capitol Hill earlier this month. As we all reflect on the importance of establishing connections with our representatives in Washington D.C. and advocating for industry issues on a national scale, it is important to not lose sight of the fact that state advocacy is equally critical for advancing industry goals. Continue reading below for a brief discussion on the importance of state advocacy, and how you can help shape policy at...

RC Kelly Law Associates is proud to have joined the National School Transportation Association in its annual Bus-In advocacy visit to legislators in Washington DC this week. Richard Kelly, Matthew Jandrisavitz, and Brian Hill assisted school bus contractors from across the country in advocating for the Driving Forward Act to help school bus driver recruiting and retention by making the Under-the-Hood CDL Testing Exemption permanent, and the Break For Kids Act to have NHTSA move forward with deve...

When a school bus driver fails a drug or alcohol test, refuses to submit to required testing, or otherwise violates U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) drug testing regulations, a specific regulatory framework governs driver and employer obligations. Federal regulations require such drivers participate in the Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) program before they return to safety-sensitive duties. 49 C.F.R. §40.285(a). For school bus operators, understanding how this process works, and what ...

Snowstorms, extreme cold, and other weather-related events continue to affect school operations across Pennsylvania. In response, school districts often cancel in-person instruction, move instruction to a virtual format, or revise school calendars in ways that result in transportation services being suspended. Since Act 56 became law in 2023, schools have more flexibility to make school calendar changes that reduce transportation contract revenue days. What do your transportation contracts say a...

In recent history, the school bus industry nationwide has made a significant push to educate the general public of the requirements to stop for the yellow bus. While there does appear to have been some progress in decreasing illegal passing, a recent study from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation (NASDPTS) shows that there was a total of 39.3 million illegal passing violations in the US during the 2024-2025 school year.

When a school bus driver fails a drug or alcohol test, refuses to submit to required testing, or otherwise violates U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) drug testing regulations, a specific regulatory framework governs driver and employer obligations. Federal regulations require such drivers participate in the Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) program before they return to safety-sensitive duties. 49 C.F.R. §40.285(a). For school bus operators, understanding how this process works, and what ...