The New Law Extends the Regulated Service Life of School Vehicles by One Year

School districts and transportation companies will be able to keep buses on the road for another year under legislation sponsored by Senator Kristin Corrado and signed into law.

School districts and transportation companies will be able to keep buses on the road for another year under legislation sponsored by Sen. Kristin Corrado and signed into law by the Governor. (SenateNJ.com)

Previously, school buses manufactured since 2007 could remain in service until the end of the school in June, 20 years after the date of manufacture, and vehicles produced between April 1977 and January 2007 had a 15-year service life.

“New school buses are extremely difficult to find right now, and prices have skyrocketed due to the effects of the pandemic and unresolved supply chain problems,” said Corrado (R-40). “This new law allows safe buses, in good working order, to remain in service for one more year, giving the market a chance to catch up with the demand.”

The new law (A-3990/S-2593) adds one more year of service to each class, and grants the chief of the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission the authority to provide additional service life extensions, if necessary, until the 2024-2025 school year.

“This is a sensible solution that allows school children to be safely transported,” said Corrado. “If buses are well-maintained and suitable for transporting students, there’s no reason to pull them out of service when replacements are few and far between.”

The bill signed by the Governor cleared both houses Wednesday with unanimous support.