Madison – Representative Shae Sortwell (R-Gibson) released the following statement today relating to legislation addressing the school bus driver shortage in Wisconsin:
“Nationwide, almost a quarter of school bus drivers are 65 years or older, while Wisconsin sits at half of that number. Overregulation in Wisconsin is deterring these drivers from entering, re-entering, or staying in the profession. Wisconsin has lost about 20 percent (more than 3,000) of its school bus drivers in the last two decades. We cannot afford to have this trend continue.”
“Luckily, the State Assembly has been moving swiftly on bills to address this issue. Last week we passed AB 393, which extends the license renewal process for drivers age 70 and older from two to four years. The legislation also expands the pool of healthcare professionals who can serve on the medical review board in order to reduce the risk of cancellation of review appointments for bus drivers. Furthermore, we will work with the Department of Transportation to make additional agreed upon updates to keep these safe drivers in their buses.”
“Thank you to the Wisconsin School Bus Association for the award and for working with me to get our kids safely to their schools and back home.”
Representative Sortwell is available for comment.
