SPRINGFIELD- Many former school bus drivers may soon be able to get back to work safely transporting students to school, thanks to legislation passed by State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) and Steve McClure (R-Springfield).
House Bill 4230, filed by Davidsmeyer in the House and sponsored by McClure in the Senate, would help bus drivers who have lost their driver’s license solely due to prior unpaid child support.
“This new law will help schools find qualified bus drivers at a time when schools are struggling to find them,” said Senator McClure. “It doesn’t make sense to punish schools for the prior debts of their employees. Especially since this would only apply to drivers who have worked out their child support payments. The legislation will help schools find safe bus drivers, and help those drivers pay their bills.”
“This bill is just one step in the right direction to ensure that people who lose their licenses for non-driving related infractions can continue to work, and especially work for our school districts to help safely get our kids to and from school,” said Representative Davidsmeyer. “This bill is a great example of how a constituent can come to our office with a problem and we worked together to find a solution.”
The legislation was inspired by a constituent who had lost his license due to a prior child support debt, a debt that had since been paid. Despite paying what he owed for child support, the individual was not able to get his school bus driving permit restored.