A new bill requiring school bus drivers in New York State to submit to random drug and alcohol screening has been approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The new law takes effect in four months and was signed by the governor on Friday.
It also lengthens the timeframe where school bus drivers must refrain from drinking alcohol before a shift from six hours to eight hours. According to the law, four school bus drivers have been arrested in New York since 2012 for operating their buses while intoxicated.
Every driver will now be subject to random drug testing. The law states that only 10 percent of drivers employed by a motor carrier are subject to random testing now.
The law has the support of the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, which represents the industry.
The cost on districts to administer this drug testing will be eligible for state reimbursement.
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