As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 674

2025-2026

To amend sections 3319.316 and 4511.76 and to enact sections 3327.103, 4925.11, 4925.12, 4925.13, and 4925.14 of the Revised Code to authorize a public or private school to transport students using a transportation network company.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 3319.316 and 4511.76 be amended and sections 3327.103, 4925.11, 4925.12, 4925.13, and 4925.14 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3319.316. The state board of education shall be a participating public office for purposes of the retained applicant fingerprint database established under section 109.5721 of the Revised Code and shall receive notification from the bureau of criminal identification and investigation of the arrest or conviction of the following persons:

(A) Persons to whom the state board has issued a license, as defined in section 3319.31 of the Revised Code;

(B) On behalf of employers described in section 3319.391 or 3327.10 of the Revised Code or a transportation network company under section 3327.103 of the Revised Code, persons who are not required to hold a license issued by the state board and are employed in or contracted for a position that the district, service center, or school reasonably determines may involve routine interaction with a child or regular responsibility for the care, custody, or control of a child, including persons who operate a school bus or motor van. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in division (E) of section 109.5721 of the Revised Code, the state board is authorized to and promptly shall transmit any notification received regarding a person under this division to the person's employer or the transportation network company, as applicable.

Sec. 3327.103. (A) In addition to any other applicable requirement specified in Chapter 4925. of the Revised Code, a transportation network company providing services under a contract entered into under section 4925.12 of the Revised Code shall do all of the following:

(1) Request a criminal records check prior to authorizing the transportation network company driver to provide pupil transportation services under the contract in accordance with the procedures specified under divisions (J)(2), (3), and (4) of section 3327.10 of the Revised Code, in addition to the background checks required by section 4925.04 of the Revised Code;

(2) Obtain the complete driving record for each transportation network company driver who is providing pupil transportation under the contract. A transportation network company shall obtain the transportation network company driver's record prior to authorizing that driver to provide pupil transportation services. Thereafter, the transportation network company shall obtain the transportation network company driver's driving record not less than semiannually while the driver is authorized to provide pupil transportation services under the contract.

(3) Ensure that all of the following apply to the operation and condition of a motor vehicle that is used by an authorized transportation network company driver for pupil transportation under the contract:

(a) A qualified mechanic inspects the motor vehicle not less than once annually to determine that it is safe for pupil transportation.

(b) If a motor vehicle is determined to be unsafe for pupil transportation, the motor vehicle is not operated for such use until it is repaired and determined safe for pupil transportation.

(d) The driver of the motor vehicle is accustomed to operating that particular make and model of motor vehicle.

(e) The motor vehicle transports not more than ten individuals at one time, including the driver.

(f) The driver and all passengers occupying the motor vehicle comply with the requirements of sections 4511.81 and 4513.263 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(B) No transportation network company providing services under a contract entered into under section 4925.12 of the Revised Code shall authorize any transportation network company driver to provide pupil transportation services under the contract if that driver has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, within the prior ten years.

Sec. 4511.76. (A) The department of public safety, by and with the advice of the department of education and workforce, shall adopt and enforce rules relating to the construction, design, and equipment, including lighting equipment required by section 4511.771 of the Revised Code, of all school buses both publicly and privately owned and operated in this state.

(B) The department of education and workforce, by and with the advice of the director of public safety, shall adopt and enforce rules relating to the operation of all vehicles used for pupil transportation.

~~(C) No~~ (C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, no person shall operate a vehicle used for pupil transportation within this state in violation of the rules of the department of education and workforce or the department of public safety. No person, being the owner thereof or having the supervisory responsibility therefor, shall permit the operation of a vehicle used for pupil transportation within this state in violation of the rules of the department of education and workforce or the department of public safety.

(2) Division (C)(1) of this section does not apply to a transportation network company driver providing services under a contract between a transportation network company and a board of education of a school district or governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school or other public school in accordance with sections 4925.11 to 4925.14 of the Revised Code.

(D) The department of public safety shall adopt and enforce rules relating to the issuance of a license under section 4511.763 of the Revised Code. The rules may relate to the condition of the equipment to be operated; the liability and property damage insurance carried by the applicant; the posting of satisfactory and sufficient bond; and such other rules as the director of public safety determines reasonably necessary for the safety of the pupils to be transported.

(E) A chartered nonpublic school or a community school may own and operate, or contract with a vendor that supplies, alternative vehicles to transport students to and from regularly scheduled school sessions, school-related activities, and school-sanctioned events when one of the following applies:

(1) A student's school district of residence has declared the transportation of the student impractical pursuant to section 3327.02 of the Revised Code;

(2) A student does not live within thirty minutes of the chartered nonpublic school or the community school, as applicable, and the student's school district is not required to transport the student under section 3327.01 of the Revised Code;

(3) The governing authority of the chartered nonpublic school or the community school has offered to provide the transportation for its students in lieu of the students being transported by their school district of residence.

(F) A school district may own and operate, or contract with a vendor that supplies, alternative vehicles to transport students to and from regularly scheduled school sessions, school-related activities, and school-sanctioned events.

(G) A school district or the governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school or community school that uses an alternative vehicle in accordance with division (E) or (F) of this section, shall ensure that all of the following apply to the operation of that vehicle:

(1) A qualified mechanic inspects the vehicle not fewer than two times each year and determines that it is safe for pupil transportation;

(2) The driver of the vehicle does not stop on the roadway to load or unload passengers;

(3) The driver of the vehicle meets the requirements specified for a driver of a school bus or motor van under section 3327.10 of the Revised Code and any corresponding rules adopted by the department of education and workforce. Notwithstanding that section or any department rules to the contrary, the driver is not required to have a commercial driver's license but shall have a current, valid driver's license, and shall be accustomed to operating the vehicle used to transport the students.

(4) The driver and all passengers in the vehicle comply with the requirements of sections 4511.81 and 4513.263 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(H)(1) A school district, a chartered nonpublic school, or a community school may own and operate, or contract with a vendor that supplies, a multifunction school activity bus to transport students between school and school functions or activities.

(2) A multifunction school activity bus shall not be used to transport students between school and home or between school and designated school bus stops.

(I) As used in this section:

(1) "Alternative vehicle" means a motor vehicle originally manufactured and designed for not more than twelve passengers, not including the driver.

(2) "Vehicle used for pupil transportation" means any vehicle that is identified as such by the department of education and workforce by rule and that is subject to Chapter 3301-83 of the Administrative Code.

(J) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one or more violations of this section or section 4511.63, 4511.761, 4511.762, 4511.764, 4511.77, or 4511.79 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any of those sections, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

Sec. 4925.11. As used in sections 4925.11 to 4925.14 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Other public school" means a community school established under Chapter 3314., a STEM school established under Chapter 3326., or a college-preparatory boarding school established under Chapter 3328. of the Revised Code.

(B) "Parent" or "legal guardian" means a natural parent, adoptive parent, or legal guardian of a student.

(C) "School district" means a city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district or an educational service center.

(D) "School-related activities" means any activities sponsored by a school district, chartered nonpublic school, or other public school including extracurricular activities, field trips, or athletic events.

(E) "Pupil" means any child enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade at a school district, chartered nonpublic school, or other public school.

Sec. 4925.12. (A) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code concerning pupil transportation, a board of education of a school district or governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school or other public school may contract with a transportation network company to provide pupil transportation to and from school or school-related activities.

(B) A contract between a transportation network company and a board of education of a school district or governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school or other public school, along with provisions in this chapter, shall govern the services provided pursuant to this section.

(C) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter and in section 3327.103 of the Revised Code, all rules and regulations of the department of education and workforce or any other state agency concerning the transportation of pupils, including Chapter 3327. of the Revised Code, shall not apply to a transportation network company and a transportation network company driver providing services under a contract authorized by this section.

Sec. 4925.13. (A) A transportation network company providing services under a contract entered into under section 4925.12 of the Revised Code shall do all of the following:

(1) Require the transportation network company drivers providing pupil transportation services under the contract to comply with the transportation network company driver requirements of this chapter;

(2) Require the transportation network company drivers providing pupil transportation services under the contract to comply with any additional safety-related driver qualifications or criminal records checks imposed under the contract;

(3) Comply with all other requirements of this chapter and section 3327.103 of the Revised Code.

(B) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit the authority of a transportation network company, at its discretion, to impose any additional safety-related driver qualifications or vehicle standards that exceed the qualifications and standards set forth in this chapter or set forth in any contract entered into under section 4925.12 of the Revised Code. Furthermore, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit the authority of a transportation network company, at its discretion, to conduct criminal records checks and to deny, suspend, or terminate the authorization of any driver performing services under a contract entered into under section 4925.12 of the Revised Code, to the extent such actions exceed what is required by this chapter or by any contract entered into under that section.

Sec. 4925.14. A transportation network company providing services pursuant to a contract entered into under section 4925.12 of the Revised Code shall, for each trip, provide the parent or legal guardian of a student with access to all of the following:

(A) Real-time status updates of the trip, including confirmation of driver arrival, student pickup, and student drop-off;

(B) Real-time global positioning system tracking throughout the duration of the trip;

(C) The ability to directly contact the assigned driver during the trip, through an anonymized in-app communication feature or call forwarding system;

(D) A picture of the driver and the make, model, and license plate number of the vehicle used by the driver.

Section 2. That existing sections 3319.316 and 4511.76 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.