NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Parents trust school bus drivers, every day, to get their child to and from school safely.
But the fact is, school bus drivers have to work unconventional part-time hours, and for the most part, they don't get health benefits.
As a result, districts across our area have struggled to recruit new drivers.
"I can't make this stuff up."
So what can Tennessee do about the shortage? Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, thinks he has the answer.
"Everyone agrees we have a crisis," said Rep. Sparks. "This is a remedy to fix it."
Under current Tennessee law, you have to be 25 years old to drive a school bus. Rep. Sparks wants to lower the minimum age to 21.
"Even [in] North Korea you can drive a school bus, by my research, at 21. Cuba: 21. Russia: 21. But for some reason, Tennessee is an outlier and the most restrictive in the world. I can’t make this stuff up," Sparks said.
The Tennessee Department of Safety is vehemently against the idea. That's because of a tragedy that inspired the 25-year-old minimum age requirement in the first place. In 2016, a wreck involving a school bus in Chattanooga claimed the lives of six children. The driver was 24 years old. Investigators discovered he was speeding and on his phone. Years later, he was also convicted of statutory rape.
"It’s a tragic moment that our community will always remember," said Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, during the House Transportation Committee hearing on the bill.
Elizabeth Stroeker, the Tennessee Department of Safety's legislative liaison, says the age requirement needs to remain in place. "We think 25 is a good age, it ensures they at least have four years of driving experience behind that," said Stroeker, during the hearing.
"We had a knee-jerk reaction, in my opinion," said Rep. Sparks, in an interview with NewsChannel 5. "That young man was 24, so going to 25 really doesn’t make a difference. He should have been vetted more properly."
An interesting coalition
This is a rare bill on the hill that doesn't fall along party lines. An interesting coalition of Republicans and Democrats have both supported and found the bill. Rep. John Ray Clemmons criticized the bill but also didn't directly say he was against it. He thinks the measure should do more to attract more applicants.
"I would think the best way to initially address that is to increase pay for our school bus drivers and provide them benefits," said Rep. Clemmons, D-Nashville.
Sparks thinks that widening the application pool, it can help districts solve this issue. "Tennessee is the most restrictive in the world," he said.
On the House side of things, the bill is scheduled for a floor vote next week. The bill still has more committee stops over in the Senate.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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