Business and Operations—COVID-19 Resources

As a result of COVID-19, the Texas Department of Public Safety previously granted extensions allowing school bus drivers to temporarily drive on expired Enrollment Cards and Certification Cards.  These extensions were set according to the driver license, commercial driver license and identification card extensions.

 

It is extremely important for our school bus drivers to be well trained and maintain their training certifications for the safety of our school children. Therefore, effective January 15, 2021, the extension for expired Enrollment cards and Certification Cards will no longer be valid. This is just for our school bus driver certifications and does not include the extension for expired CDLs.

 

For any of your drivers that have an expired Enrollment card, you will need to contact us at Region 4 on or before January 15, 2021 to be enrolled in the next available Certification course. Until further notice, a second Enrollment card may be issued with my approval but only to cover the time until the next available Certification course and not to be effective more than 180 days.

For drivers that have an expired Certification card, we offer the Recertification course online and also offer face-to-face courses as well.  Please note that the online course must be completed and proctored within 14 days. For those with an expired card, the recertification course must be completed (including the proctored test) by January 15, 2021.  Starting then all drivers must have a valid card in their possession before they can begin to drive.

If you should have any questions please contact Jack Mann., Director of Business & Operations at jack.mann@esc4.net or at 713-744-6854.

 

 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has temporarily waived compliance for medical certificates expiring from March 1, 2020 until June 30, 2020. DPS will continue to process medical certificates received and will discontinue the downgrade of CDLs for expired medical certificates. Medical certificates can be submitted to DPS by email CDLMedCert@dps.texas.gov or by fax 512-424-2002.

 

For information regarding CDL testing, please visit the DPS website at the following link:  https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/covid-19.htm

 

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Due to Governor Abbott's Executive Order issued Tuesday, March 31, 2020, Region 4 has canceled all currently scheduled in-person bus driver certification and recertification classes.  We are in the process of working with our instructors to reschedule all classes starting after June 6, 2020.  Please note that this date is subject to extension based on the status of COVID-19 in Texas and the recommendations of the CDC.

 

As a result of COVID-19, it is necessary to implement the following temporary extension dates related to school bus driver enrollment, certification and medical card expiration dates. Be advised, full implementation as stated in 37 TAC, Part 1, Chapter 14, Subchapters B & C will resume back to regular business upon the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic. A follow-up email will be sent out and posted when this occurs.

 

An enrollment card displaying an expired date will be considered valid if both of these conditions are met:

1.       The expiration date on the enrollment card is on or after March 13, 2020; AND

2.       The expired date is within 60 days of the end of the State of Disaster, which will be the date the department provides public notice that normal issuance procedures have resumed.

Any driver with an enrollment card that does not fall within these conditions can be issued a 2^nd enrollment card but only if approved by the service center.

Please remember that enrollment cards are to only be issued to drivers enrolled in the next available certification course, not the recertification course.  

 

A certification and/or recertification card displaying an expired date will be considered valid if both of these conditions are met:

1.       The expiration date on the cert/recert card is on or after March 13, 2020; AND

2.       The expired date is within 60 days of the end of the State of Disaster, which will be the date the department provides public notice that normal issuance procedures have resumed.

 

For drivers that are taking the online course, the course must be completed within the 14 days but only the proctored test is temporarily being waived to be administered outside of the 14 days. Therefore, the proctored test must be administered within 60 days of the end of the State of Disaster. If a driver starts the online course, they must complete it online or restart the whole thing over in a classroom course. No online course will be transferred to a classroom course.