2 mothers call for change in New York school bus service rule

MERRICK, N.Y. — Two mothers want an exemption in state school bus service eligibility rules that would guarantee bus transportation for students whose parents have serious health issues and cannot drive them, ABC 7 reports.

Tara Notrica, who has a disorder that can cause her to go into anaphylactic shock at any time, has helped to introduce a bill that guarantees bus transportation, no matter the distance within the district, for kids whose parents cannot drive them due to chronic illness, according to the news source. Notrica’s children were not eligible under state law for bus service because they lived half a mile away from their school. However, due to her health condition, she said she did not feel safe driving them, and spent a lot of money on private transportation.

Amy Mogel, a mother who suffers from a neurological disorder, first introduced the bill many years ago, but it was vetoed by Gov. David Paterson and then again by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2012, according to the news source. Mogel said that she also struggled to get her children to school, and is hopeful the bill will pass this legislative session, which ends next week, ABC 7 reports.

The sponsor of the bill in the Senate told the news source he's "very confident" it will pass by the end of the session.

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