(a) Used school buses purchased or operated by a public school system in Texas shall meet or exceed all Federal and State requirements for public school buses that were in effect in Texas on the date the vehicle was manufactured. Prior to the sale, the dealer selling the used school bus must provide the buyer (school district) with:
  (1) Documentation of their "Dealer General Distinguishing Number" which is required by Texas Transportation Code, §503.029.
  (2) Documentation of what state the used school bus was originally manufactured.
  (3) A copy of the specifications the school bus was originally manufactured to.
  (4) Documentation of all modifications that were made to each school bus to bring it into compliance with Texas School Bus Specifications that were in place on the date the school bus was originally manufactured.
(b) Public school districts or contractors must notify the department in writing within 30 days of purchasing any used school bus. The notification must include:
  (1) The date of purchase and delivery.
  (2) The name of the dealer and the dealer's General Distinguishing Number from whom the used school bus was purchased.
  (3) Who manufactured the school bus, date of manufacture, and to which states' specifications the school bus was manufactured.
(c) Used school buses purchased by school districts that were not originally manufactured to Texas specifications at the time the school bus was manufactured may be inspected by the department to verify compliance with the applicable federal and state specifications.
(d) Any used school bus, as described in subsection (a) of this section, found out of compliance with the specifications that were in effect in Texas on the date the vehicle was manufactured will be placed out of service by the vehicle's owner until it is brought into compliance with the applicable specifications.
(e) A private school must comply with this subsection except for requirements to report the purchase of a used school bus to the department.

Source Note: The provisions of this §14.53 adopted to be effective March 18, 2009, 34 TexReg 1879