(a) The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations which, in the judgment of the department, are designed to promote the safe operation of vehicles described in Sections 39830 and 82321 of the Education Code and Sections 545 and 34500 of this code. The Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol shall appoint a committee of 11 members to act in an advisory capacity when developing and adopting regulations affecting school pupil transportation buses and school pupil transportation operations. The advisory committee shall consist of 11 members appointed as follows:

(1) One member of the State Department of Education.

(2) One member of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(3) One member of the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

(4) One member who is employed as a schoolbus driver.

(5) One member of the Office of Traffic Safety in the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

(6) Two members who are schoolbus contractors, one of whom shall be from an urban area of the state and one of whom shall be from a rural area of the state, as determined by the department.

(7) Two members who are representatives of school districts, one of whom shall be from an urban area of the state and one of whom shall be from a rural area of the state, as determined by the department.

(8) One professionally licensed member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

(9) One member representing school pupil transportation operations other than schoolbus operations.

(b) The department shall cooperate and confer with the advisory committee appointed pursuant to this section prior to adopting rules or regulations affecting school pupil transportation buses and school pupil transportation operations.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 677, Sec. 50. Effective October 7, 2005.)