BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The proposed regulation adopts the most recent state and national standards for school buses that are manufactured on or after January 1, 2018.
The Department of Education and Early Development proposes to adopt regulation changes to Title 4 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with pupil transportation, including the following:
4 AAC 27.110 is proposed to be amended to adopt by reference the 2015 revised edition of National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures and adopt by reference the 2017 revised edition of Minimum Standards for Alaska School Buses. The standards would apply to school buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2018.
The Department of Education and Early Development invites the public to submit written comments during the written comment period, which begins with the date of this notice and ends on August 7, 2017, at 4:30 p.m. The written comment period closes in advance of the meeting of the State Board of Education and Early Development at which the board will consider the adoption of the proposed regulations. This allows the Department of Education and Early Development an opportunity to prepare changes based on written comment and to distribute any proposed changes to the board for its consideration prior to the meeting.
You may comment in writing on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to the Commissioner’s Office, Department of Education and Early Development, Attn: Regulations Review, 801 West Tenth Street, Suite 200, PO Box 110500, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500.
You also may submit written comments by facsimile at (907) 465-4156; by electronic mail to shawn.sypeck@alaska.gov and online at the website of the Department of Education and Early Development at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm. Written comments also may be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system and using the comment link.
All written comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. August 7, 2017.
After the written comment period has ended, you may submit oral comments to the State Board of Education and Early Development at a hearing to be held by the board on September 14, 2017. The hearing will be held from 9:10 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. but may be extended to accommodate those present before 9:00 a.m. who have not had an opportunity to comment before 10:10 a.m.
You may submit oral comments at this hearing, during this time only, via the Legislative Information Office streaming by calling 1-844-586-9085 if you are outside of Juneau. For participation from Juneau, call 586-9085.
You also may submit oral comment by visiting your local Legislative Information Office (LIO). The following LIO’s will participate: Anchorage, 716 W 4th Ave., Suite 100; Bethel, 301 Willow St.; Fairbanks, 1292 Sadler Way, Suite 308; Juneau, Room 111 Terry Miller Bldg.; Kenai, 145 Main St. Loop, Suite 217; Ketchikan, 1900 First Ave., Suite 310; Kodiak, 305 Center Ave., Suite 1; Mat-Su, 600 E Railroad Ave.; Nome 103 Front St.; Seward, 302 Railway Suite 107; and Sitka, 201 Katlian St., Suite 103.
This meeting will be streamed through the Legislative Information Office over http://www.alaskalegislature.tv/ beginning at 9:00 a.m. September 14 and 15, 2017 (audio only).
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Shawn Sypeck at shawn.sypeck@alaska.gov or the Department of Education and Early Development, Attn: Shawn Sypeck, 801 West 10th Street, Suite 200, PO Box 110500, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500. If a question is relevant to the proposed change in the regulations and the question is received by July 28, 2017, which is 10 days before the end of the public comment period, the department will make a good-faith effort to answer the question before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Education and Early Development will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the website of the Department of Education and Early Development at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Shawn Sypeck at 907-465-2802 or shawn.sypeck@alaska.gov not later than September 7, 2017, to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
Copies of the proposed regulation changes are available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System, on the website of the Department of Education and Early Development at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm, and by contacting Shawn Sypeck at shawn.sypeck@alaska.gov or 907-465-2802.
The 2015 revised edition of National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures is available at:
http://www.nasdpts.org/ncstonline/Documents/NCST%202015%20Specifications%20and%20Procedures%2011.1.16.pdf
The 2017 revised edition of Minimum Standards for Alaska School Buses is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System as a PDF attachment to this notice and on the website of the Department of Education and Early Development at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm and by contacting Shawn Sypeck at shawn.sypeck@alaska.gov or 907-465-2802.
After the public comment period ends, the Department of Education and Early Development will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory authority: AS 14.07.060, AS 14.09.010
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 14.07.020, AS 14.07.030, AS 14.09.010
Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.