By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-982250.mp3
Albany, NY – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law Tuesday banning people convicted of sexual crimes involving children from driving school buses in the state... Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
The new law bans convicted sex offenders, sex traffickers, those who have lured children and people convicted of manslaughter, among others, from being school bus drivers. Republican Senator John Bonacic co-sponsored the legislation with Democratic Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow .
Back in January, David Moraca dashed off a letter to the editor of the Daily Freeman, pointing out that penal code violations regarding bus driver disqualifications hadn't been updated for more than a decade. Under the old law, a person convicted of either killing someone through reckless driving or promoting prostitution was disqualified from becoming a school bus driver for five years. Those convictions now carry a permanent disqualification.
Governor Cuomo reamrked "This law will protect our children by making sure those convicted of sexual offenses and other serious crimes are disqualified from becoming school bus drivers."
The crimes listed include:
Aggravated manslaughter in the first or second degree
Sexual abuse in the first degree
Course of sexual conduct against a child in the first or second degree
Facilitating a sex offense with a controlled substance
Predatory sexual assault
Sex trafficking
Disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree Use of a child in a sexual performance
Promoting or possessing a sexual performance by a child
Aggravated assault upon a child less than 11 years old
Luring a child
Persistent sexual abuse
Aggravated criminally negligent homicide
Criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school grounds
David Moraca says that he is glad that he wrote that "letter to the editor" - The new law takes effect in February 2012.