A. Upon the receipt of approval of the permit application from the state corporation commission [public regulation commission], the state transportation director may grant a permit to operate school buses for general public transportation to a school district that operates its own school buses or to the independent school bus operator who operates school buses under contract with a school district, if he determines:

(1) that school bus service to students will not be adversely affected by issuing the permit;

(2) that the operation of such buses for general public transportation service by the district or the independent operator will not provide unnecessary duplication of a general public transportation service by school buses of another school district or independent school bus operator contracting with another district; and

(3) that there has been compliance with the rules and regulations of the state transportation director issued pursuant to the Emergency Transportation Act.

B. The state transportation director, subject to the approval of the state superintendent [secretary] of public instruction, shall by regulation provide for application fees, forms and permit procedures pursuant to the Emergency Transportation Act.

C. A permit issued under this section shall be valid for one year and shall be annually renewed upon payment of a reasonable application fee to the state transportation division and certification by the state corporation commission [public regulation commission] of the permittee's compliance with all applicable laws. Notice of renewal of the permit shall be delivered by the state transportation division to the state corporation commission [public regulation commission] and the local school board concerned.

History: 1953 Comp., § 77-14A-3, enacted by Laws 1974, ch. 38, § 3.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Laws 1998, ch. 108, § 80 provided that all references in law, rules, tariffs, orders and other official acts to the state corporation commission, the insurance board, the fire board or the New Mexico public utility commission shall be construed to be references to the public regulation commission.

Laws 2004, ch. 25, § 27, provided that all references to the superintendent of public instruction shall be deemed references to the secretary of public education and all references to the former state board of education or state department of education shall be deemed references to the public education department. See 9-24-15 NMSA 1978.