Advocacy and Issues Development

NYAPT has engaged in advocacy for student and school bus safety for many years. We are proud to have been closely involved in many of the key laws and regulations that govern our state’s school transportation program and that keep our children and our school bus fleet safe and secure. As professionals, we accept the responsibility for advocating on matters of importance and for educating our public officials objectively and honestly about the needs of the school transportation sector. Our voices are important to the legislative and regulatory processes and we take our role in that arena very seriously. The safety and lives of our children are at stake.

Our advocacy program includes adoption of an annual School Transportation Legislative Agenda which formulates key issues that we believe need to be considered for enactment by the State Legislature and the Governor. Click here to review a copy of our Legislative Agenda.

On a regular basis, NYAPT also offers comments on a range of legislative initiatives and issues, including on agency regulations and specific legislation offered by members of the State Senate and State Assembly. Recent memoranda in support or opposition to state legislation as well as comments on specific state and federal proposed regulations will be up shortly.

Moreover, NYAPT annually issues a statement regarding the Governor’s Proposed Executive Budget in which we present our recommendations for ways in which the state budget might more effectively address the needs of school transportation services. To read a copy of our most recent statement on the state budget, click here.

NYAPT also has begun to develop more formal and structured position statements on issues of importance in the school transportation industry. These statements do not deal with specific state or federal proposals but provide an industry and New York perspective on emerging issues or trends that affect school bus safety. Recent statements relate to seat belts on school buses, safe parking of school buses, cell phone usage on school buses, and training for drivers of special needs students. Click here to view our current position statements.