HB 96 (the budget bill for FY 2026-2027) includes language that permits the use of a Multi-function school activity bus (MFSAB) for limited school transportation. The Ohio administrative code does not yet have language addressing the use of these vehicles, but with the signing and implementation of the budget bill, the use is now legal.
So just what is an MFSAB?
An MFSAB is a federally defined subclass of the traditional yellow school bus. There are three components to consider.
- Design differences. The MFSAB must comply with all the same construction standards as a traditional yellow school bus, however, cannot have any traffic controlling devices. This includes the stop sign and warning light systems. The other exception in the federal motor vehicle safety standards is that these vehicles may be any color. In Ohio we currently have school bus construction standards in administrative code that require all school buses to meet standards which include yellow coloring and traffic control devices. The administrative code will have to be updated. This bill enacts a change in state law that allows for MFSAB’s to be purchased and used immediately without traffic control devices.
- Use differences. The federal code that authorizes MFSAB vehicles includes several notable restrictions in the use of these vehicles. An MFSAB may not be used for student transportation between home and school and cannot be used for “school bus stops” as we define them for school route service. The laws enacted by HB 96 include the same restrictions as listed in the federal code. In common terms, these buses can only be used for what we call “field trips”.
- Driver qualifications. By both federal and state code, an operator of an MFSAB must be a qualified bus driver. In Ohio this means that the driver must meet all school bus driver requirements in place through both the Revised Code and Administrative Code.
How did these vehicles come to be?
In the early 2000’s a need was established nationwide for a vehicle that met all of the design standards of a school bus to ensure passenger safety but was not necessarily a school bus. Much of this originated in several states where the state owned all of the traditional yellow school buses and would not allow school districts to use these vehicles for field trips. To address that need, NHTSA held hearings and ultimately adopted a federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) that identified a subclass of school bus that would be called a multi-function school activity bus (MFSAB). To accommodate laws in place in the states where these were needed, these vehicles were restricted from having traffic control devices.
MFSAB’s have been available from manufacturers since that time. They were considered for use in Ohio; however the existing revised code and administrative code expressly prohibited the purchase or use of a school bus that did not include all of the traffic safety devices that we are accustomed to seeing on school buses. Without a change in law and administrative code, the MFSAB’s were not legal in our state.
The language in HB96 addresses this and makes specific changes in our revised code that allows the use of the MFSAB in Ohio.
Why would we need an MFSAB?
The bottom line is that the MFSAB is a vehicle that meets the same construction standards as a traditional school bus, providing maximum safety for the occupants. This gives us an excellent choice in vehicle for field trips and student transportation for sports, extracurricular activities, summer programs, and pretty much any need other than daily school routes.
What the vehicle cannot be used for is a school route that includes transporting students between school bus stops and their school of attendance.
An MFSAB would be a great choice for an institution such as an ESC, Career Center, Nonpublic or Community School that only provides transportation for nonroutine events (field trips). If school districts were to purchase these vehicles, unfortunately they cannot be used for school routes, making them a very expensive asset with limited use. Practically speaking, school districts would be better advised to purchase school buses that can be used for both school routes and nonroutine trips