HBA-RBT H.B. 285 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 285 By: Wise Public Education 4/21/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a mobile telephone is not required on a school bus. If an accident or incident occurred on a school bus without a radio, the driver may not be able to call for help. If an emergency or accident were to occur, the driver has no easy way to notify a dispatcher that a problem or breakdown has occurred. H.B. 285 requires a school bus to be equipped with a mobile telephone that can be used in an emergency. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 547.701(a), Transportation Code, to require a school bus to be equipped with a mobile telephone that can be used in an emergency. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.