Association & Member News | | |
George Dapper, Inc. Receives Middlesex County's First Electric School Buses
In early May, NJSBCA member, George Dapper Inc., a third-generation student transportation contractor in Woodbridge, New Jersey, received two Thomas Built Buses Safe-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school buses.
According to the release, this milestone makes the company the first in Middlesex County to operate electric school buses, while the delivery contributes the 24th and 25th electric school buses to New Jersey's clean-energy fleet.
The delivery is part of a larger movement across the state to modernize school transportation while reducing emissions and promoting cleaner air.
Funding for the electric buses and infrastructure was procured from the NJDEP RGGI grant, a multi-state grant program dedicated to advancing zero-emissions transportation. Read more...
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NJSBCA/STS School Bus Driver Safety Competition
Thank you to all of our drivers, volunteers, judges and sponsors for participating in the NJSBCA/STS Driver Safety Competition held Saturday May 31st.
Congratulations to the winner of the 2nd annual NJSBCA & NJSTS School Bus Driver Safety Competition: Nathaniel Dwarica of Joshua Tours School Bus Company!
Congratulations also to the remaining top five winners!
Second place - John Maccasack of Krapf School Bus
Third place - Bobbie Jo Vaughn of Krapf School Bus
Fourth place - Steven Chew of Dennis Township School District
Fifth place - Cliff Vanetten of Krapf School Bus
Nathaniel will represent NJSBCA in the 2025 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas.
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First Place Winner
Nathaniel Dwarica
| | L to R: Nathaniel Dwarica, John Maccasack, Bobbie Jo Vaughn, Steven Chew, and Cliff Vanetten | | |
To Our Valued Vendor Sponsor Members:
We are always looking for content for our monthly newsletters. We invite you to send what's new and exciting in your businesses. This is your opportunity to remind our members of any new services and/or benefits your company provides. Submit all information to info@njsbca.com.
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Receiving Our Emails?
We have been notified that some Members are not receiving our emails. If you have not been receiving NJSBCA emails, please check your junk/spam mail folder. If the emails are not there, please contact us at info@njsbca.com to address the issue.
For those receiving emails, please remind all company members listed as contacts in the NJSBCA member portal to check their junk/spam folders.
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Contribute to the Political Action
Committee (PAC)!
NJSBCA provides our members with benefits to help them run their businesses optimally and works on legislation to advocate for school bus contractors in the State of New Jersey.
The purpose of the Political Action Committee (PAC) is to educate and support candidates for public office to enhance their understanding of the issues facing our industry. This is a significant part of the NJSBCA’s advocacy efforts, all of which are designed to result in laws and regulations coming out of Trenton that make sense for you, both as a school transportation provider and as a business owner.
Download Your Political Action Committee Contribution form here, or use the QR code provided to contribute electronically.
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Blue Bird Diversifies from School Buses
Blue Bird, the iconic American school bus manufacturer and one of the largest electric school bus makers, has announced an all-electric medium duty Class 5-6 truck chassis. Read more...
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47 Kids’ Lives At Risk When Bus Driver Left the Wheel While Speeding on Parkway
A bus driver from Philadelphia was arrested Wednesday in Ocean County after police say he drove recklessly, including leaving the steering wheel unattended and using his cellphone, while on the Garden State Parkway. Read more...
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New Bill Would Remove Some Protections for Temporary Workers in New Jersey
The new bill, which the committee discussed but did not vote on Monday, comes less than two years after the law known as the ‘Temp Workers Bill of Rights’” went into effect. That law requires employers to provide basic information on jobs in workers’ native language and guarantees a minimum wage to an estimated 127,000 temporary workers. Read more...
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New Jersey Passes Pay Transparency Law: What Employers Need to Know
On June 1, 2025, a new law became effective that requires employers in New Jersey to publicize salary ranges and benefits information with any new job posting. Read more...
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School Bus Hits Poles on Farview Avenue
A school bus carrying staff members but no students crashed on May 20 in Paramus, injuring a 58-year-old adult aide. The incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. on Farview Avenue near Our Lady of Visitation Church. The bus, owned by Leckie Bus Company, struck multiple utility poles before coming to a stop. Read more...
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Senate Vote Repealing Ban on Sales of Gas-powered Cars in California May Have Consequences in N.J.
The Senate voted Thursday to repeal an EPA waiver that allowed California to ban the selling of new gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035, which may in effect void the same rule adopted by the Murphy administration in 2023. Read more...
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Are Extended Stop Arms Part of Solution to Illegal School Bus Passing?
In recognition of Distracted Driving Month in April, Bus Gates provided school districts with free products for a hands-on trial of the bus extension arms. School district leaders say the equipment can be part of the solution to combating illegal passing, in conjunction with enforcement cameras and driver training. Read more...
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Court Strikes Down Most of Trump's Tariffs, Ruling Them Illegal
A federal court froze most of the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Trump on virtually every foreign nation, ruling the levies exceed the president's legal authority.
The ruling — issued by a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of International Trade — halted the sweeping 10% tariffs Mr. Trump assessed on virtually every U.S. trading partner on "Liberation Day" last month, with higher tariffs threatened for dozens of countries. The court also blocked a separate set of tariffs imposed on China, Mexico and Canada by the Trump administration, which has cited drug trafficking and illegal immigration as its reasoning for the hikes. Read more...
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Electric School Buses Can Meet the Moment in Range and Reliability
As more electric school buses hit the road across the United States, these vehicles are taking on longer trips and more difficult terrain – demonstrating that battery-powered buses can meet a variety of school district needs when it comes to range and reliability. Read more...
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Executive Order on Commercial Driver Credentialing and Enforcement
On April 30, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers. Despite its title, the directives apply to all commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators, including over-the-road bus drivers. The Order underscores the Administration’s continued emphasis on roadway safety and credentialing integrity. Two key issues addressed in the Order—English proficiency enforcement and non-domiciled CDL issuance—have significant implications for the motorcoach industry and align with ongoing regulatory developments. Read more...
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Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Funding Freeze Over Congestion Pricing
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s effort to freeze federal funds to New York over its congestion pricing program.
Judge Lewis Liman’s temporary restraining order prevents the federal government from withholding — until at least June 9 — federal transportation funds from New York because of the city’s congestion pricing tolls. The order also bars federal authorities from moving to rescind approvals for congestion pricing or otherwise terminate the program until that date. Read more...
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FMCSA Removes Eight Devices from List of Registered ELDs
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has removed eight Gorilla Fleet Safety, LLC devices from the agency’s list of registered electronic logging devices, or ELDs. The devices were placed on the Revoked Devices list due to the company’s failure to meet the minimum requirements established in Title 49 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 395. The removals are effective May 12, 2025. Motor carriers have up to 60 days to replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs. Read more...
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FMCSA Makes Up To $90M Available In FY2025 Grants
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has opened fiscal year 2025 applications for three discretionary grant programs that emphasize driver safety training. These grants, which could total more than $90 million, will fund projects that advance the development and delivery of motor carrier safety training to non-Federal employees and provide commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operator training to future commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders. Read more...
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FMCSA Unveils 18 Proposed Rule Changes
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing 18 rule changes aimed at simplifying regulatory compliance for truck drivers and motor carriers. According to a list of notices published on Tuesday, the proposed rules, to be formally released on Friday, will have 60-day comment periods. Read more...
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Future of Clean School Bus Program?
School districts are contemplating how to best move forward with the cleanest-emitting school bus that best meets their individual needs, be that an electric school bus (ESB), one fueled by propane, or a cleaner diesel variety. Read more...
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GAO Finds DOT Funding Pause on Electric Vehicle Charging Illegal
The Government Accountability Office said Thursday that the Transportation Department’s pause on funding for a Biden administration electric vehicle charging program is illegal under the 1974 law restricting a president’s ability to block or “impound” money appropriated by Congress. Read more...
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Labor Department Won't Enforce Biden-Era Independent Contractor Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor is reviewing a 2024 Biden-administration rule that made it harder for companies to define workers as independent contractors. The department has signaled that it may issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to repeal the rule.
In the meantime, a May 1 guidance from the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division is telling investigators not to apply the 2024 rule’s analysis in current enforcement matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Read more...
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NHTSA Seeks Fix to Child Safety Restraint Standard Affecting School Buses
Child passenger safety providers are urging the industry to voice support of proposed rulemaking by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that addresses an oversight in updates made to FMVSS 213 that could impact the new manufacturing of child safety restraint systems for school buses.
NHTSA proposed on May 30 amendments to Child Restraint System Standards FMVSS 213, FMVSS 213a and FMVSS 213b to exempt school bus child safety restraint systems from the requirement to comply with side-impact protection requirements defined in FMVSS 213a. Read more...
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Regulatory Rollback Could Stall Zero-Emission Bus Innovation
The United States Senate passed resolutions to overturn Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers and overrule the Senate parliamentarian to revoke California's authority under the Clean Air Act. In the vote, the Senate overturned three regulations that would have pushed for more "clean" cars, trucks, and buses over the next 15 years. These waivers allowed California to implement the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), and Heavy-Duty Omnibus (HDO) regulations. Read more...
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School Bus Wi-Fi in Flux?
The government giveth, and the government taketh away? That may be the case for the future of school-bus Wi-Fi, which currently is eligible for E-Rate discount under the Federal Communication Commission’s Universal Services Fund. Read more...
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Transportation, Energy Leaders Urge Congress to Save Incentives
Pulling back on incentives to advance clean transportation and energy will damage the nation’s leadership in innovation and job creation, leaders from the electric vehicle and green energy sectors warned. Read more...
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Transportation Secretary Slashes Red Tape Across FHWA, NHTSA, and FMCSA
Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced today 52 deregulatory actions across Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In total, the deregulatory package will rescind, withdraw, or amend burdensome regulations that do not enhance safety. These actions also help streamline the Code of Federal Regulations by deleting over 73,000 words from the Federal Register. Read more...
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Trump Orders New Federal Guidance for Enforcing Commercial Drivers English Proficiency
President Donald Trump signed an executive that would enforce existing regulations to require commercial drivers be proficient in speaking and reading the English language. Read more... Read the FMCSA Guidance Memo here.
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U.S. Climate Alliance Governors Launch Affordable Clean Cars Coalition to Expand Access to Newer and Cleaner Vehicles
The U.S. Climate Alliance Announced the launch of the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition by 11 of its Member Governors to sustain America’s transition to cleaner and more affordable cars, support U.S. automotive manufacturers and workers, and preserve states’ clean air authority. Alongside the launch, the Alliance announced the availability of resources to help states tackle vehicle pollution and lower barriers for consumers to more affordably own, drive, charge, and maintain clean cars. Read more...
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US House Republicans Drop Federal $20 Vehicle Registration Fee, Back $250 EV Fee
U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday advanced a new $250 annual fee on electric cars but dropped a $20 federal yearly registration fee on all vehicles starting in 2031 to fund road repairs as part of a tax reform bill under consideration. Read more...
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Throughout the month of May, the New Jersey Legislature met regularly, holding a steady
schedule of committee hearings and voting sessions as the June 30 deadline for the Fiscal Year
2026 budget approaches. While legislative activity remained consistent, it was a relatively quiet
month with respect to issues directly impacting the school transportation industry.
No new bills of significant consequence to school bus contractors advanced during this period, and there were no major updates on previously introduced legislation affecting driver certification, transportation funding, or contractor regulations. Discussions on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget remain ongoing, and we continue to monitor for any last-minute developments that could affect school transportation funding or operational policy.
We anticipate a potential increase in relevant legislative activity in June as the budget
negotiations intensify.
As the gubernatorial rapidly approaches, the campaign dynamics and intensity have heated up, as new polling data continues to provide insights into voter preferences. Notably, this primary will be the first without the “county line” ballot design, creating a more open and competitive primary season.
Public and internal campaign polling show that the race for the Democratic nomination is very open, with a high number of undecided voters yet to decide. Currently, it is still anyone’s race. The candidates for the nomination are:
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill: A former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, Sherrill is focusing on affordability, education equity, and infrastructure investment;
- Rep. Josh Gottheimer: Known as a centrist and co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, Gottheimer emphasizes lowering taxes, cutting red tape for small businesses, and making New Jersey more affordable;
- Mayor Ras Baraka: Serving as Newark’s mayor since 2014, Baraka advocates for working-class families, focusing on lowering taxes, addressing the housing crisit, and modernizing zoning laws;
- Mayor Steve Fulop: With a background in revitalizing Jersey City, Fulop aims to tackle corruption, improve housing, healthcare, and education, and reduce taxes;
- Sean Spiller: The president of the New Jersey Education Association and Montclair’s mayor, Spiller focuses on affordability, education, and healthcare, drawing on his experience as a teacher and union leader; and
- Steve Sweeney: The former state Senate president brings legislative experience, emphasizing budget reform, multiyear financial planning, and addressing housing shortages.
On the other side of the aisle, public and internal polling show that former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerset), continues to cement his lead as the frontrunner. After recently receiving the endorsement of President Donald Trump, Assemblyman Ciattarelli is now assumed to be the presumptive favorite in the election.
The candidates include:
- Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost to Murphy in 2021, is focusing on reducing taxes and fixing the State's School funding formula;
- Bill Spadea, a former conservative radio host who angled for President Trump’s endorsement; and
- State Senator Jon Bramnick, who is known as a moderate Republican, emphasizes government efficiency, cutting waste, and lowering taxes, while being critical of the President.
As results become clear, Princeton Public Affairs Group, will update the Association and keep you abreast of the latest updates.
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Contact: Pattie Cowley, Administrator | New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association
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