What is SB-88?
SB-88 is California legislation (Chapter 380, Statutes of 2023), signed into law on October 7, 2023, that updates requirements for people and companies transporting students (pupils) to and from school or related activities. Starting July 1, 2025, SB-88 mandates that drivers providing compensated pupil transportation (either employed by a school or contracted via a private entity) meet stricter health, safety, and oversight standards.
Overview of SB-88 Requirements
SB-88 expands existing requirements to include all paid drivers involved in student transportation, significantly broadening the scope beyond traditional school bus drivers. Unless an applicable exception applies, its requirements apply to all school-related student transportation to or from a school campus, including home-to-school transportation, field trips, after-school, preschool, and childcare-related programs, athletics, and other extracurricular programs. These requirements apply to both private transportation companies contracted by the LEA and certificated and classified employees who transport students.
For more information on how WUSD is implementing SB-88, please click here.