11/17/2005 letter: Letter to NAPT reiterating the new federal law signed by President George W. Bush on Aug. 10, 2005 under the name Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy (SAFETEA-LU) providing for new civil penalties for the illegal sale or lease of new 15-passenger vans for student transportation: up to $10,000 per single offense and up to $15 million for a series of offenses.
11/4/2005 letter: Letter to U.S. Representative J. Randy Forbes of Virginia on behalf of a constituent seeking clarification if a residential group home is considered a school and must use school buses rather than nonconforming vans. 3/14/2005 letter: Letter to transportation administrator in St. Paul, Minn., confirming, as of that date, no change in NHTSA's 1998 position approving the use of 15-passenger vans by the district's Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program because the program was not considered a "school" and thus not required to use school bus vehicles.
10/1/2003 letter: Letter in response to an Indiana church inquiring about 15-passenger vans use, rollover risks of 15-passenger vans, and if there is a Federal law "prohibiting use of 15-passenger vans for transporting students (K-12) to and from school."
9/10/2003 letter: Response to U.S. Representative from North Carolina on church use of nonconforming vans.
9/26/2000
letter: Letter offering
clarification of the effect of Federal school bus regulations on the sale of an
"over-the-road activity bus" (motorcoach) to a Kansas school district.
9/25/2000
letter: Letter to School Transportation Unit of the California Dept. of Education
outlining NHTSA's explanation of why the Saf-T-Bar, an amusement park type restraint
system by Majestic Transportation, does not comply with federal school bus safety
regulations. 4/26/2000
Inquiry from a church regarding the use and safety standards applicable for 11-15
passenger vans. 1999
Back
to Top 4/2/99
letter: To the director of Creative Child Care involving to the sale of new,
large vehicles to child care centers that transport school children to and from
school. 4/7/99
letter:Request from attorney about bus purchase for a Head Start Agency in
Montgomery County, Ohio that with 4,000 pre-school children. 3/31/99
letter: Reply to Congressman Doug Bereuter who inquired regarding child care
centers that have found it difficult to purchase vehicles to transport children
to and from school and school-related activities. 3/31/99
letter: Response to an inquiry about a regulation which "prohibits the sale
of commercial vans with a capacity of eleven or more to child care centers that
transport children to or from school and school-related activities and Head Start
programs." 10/22/99
letter Inquiry about the use of 15 passenger vans for the transportation of
children to or from preschool through grade 12. 1998
Back to Top 9/3/98
letter: Inquiry from car dealership whether it may lease new Ford Super Club
Wagons (seating a driver and 14 passengers) to schools to transport students to
and from school-related events. 8/3/98
letter: To State Directors Association president about the use of 12 to 15-passenger
vans by child day care providers to drop off and pick up school children from
school. 7/17/98
letter: Attorney for YMCA inquires about car dealers' refusals to sell 15-passenger
vans to YMCAs that drop off and pick up school children from school. Also asks
for clarification of the circumstances when buses are considered "school buses"
under Federal law. 7/17/98
letter: To Chicago YMCA about use of 15-passenger vans. 7/7/98
letter: Depending on use, van may be an MPV instead of a school bus.
6/1/98
letter: 15-passenger vans used by a dance studio are considered a school bus.
5/22/98
letter: NHTSA permits recertification of two Goshen Coach
"school buses."
NHTSA
Issues New Interpretation about Vans to Child Care Industry:
In
May, 1998 the National Child Care Assocation (NCCA) requested
NHTSA to clarify its new interpretation extending Federal school
bus safety standands to child care centers using large passenger
vans to transport children. At a Capital Summit with the association,
NHTSA announced it had rescinded its longstanding interpretation
that child care facilities are not schools and thus not subject
to Federal school bus safety regulations. In this important
letter NHTSA explains, "If a bus will be used significantly
for transporting children to or from school, such a vehicle
is a bus, even if the purchaser is a child care facility."
NCCA issued a press release to its members explaining this new
development.
2/12/98
letter: The purchase, sale, and use of motor vehicles used to transport students
to and from school and related events. 1/8/98
letter: Requesting elaboration of Administrator Martinez letter of 11/10/97.
10/14/97
letter: Inquires about the difference in the definitions of "schoolbus" at
49 U.S.C. §30125 and at 49 CFR § 571.3 9/30/97
letter: A car dealer seeks clarification of definitions of "schools" he should
not sell to. 9/2/97
letter:Inquiry about NHTSA views on using fifteen-passenger vans to transport
school children for activities sponsored by school district. 6/19/97
letter: Can a Wisconsin school district lease 12-passenger vans for "various
activities." 4/26/96
letter: Inquires about the term school "related activities" 4/17/96
letter: Explaining effect of differing state and federal definitions of school
buses and obligation of vehicle dealers. 4/2/96
letter: How do Federal regulations apply to full-size passenger vans used for
school transportation? 1/17/96
letter: About seat belts in school buses and the use of 15-passenger vans
as school buses. Back
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