Physical Information for Bus Drivers

All Kansas Activity and School Bus Drivers are required to have a physical regardless of the passenger rating of the bus. All individuals primarily hired to provide transportation in a school passenger vehicle are required to have a physical. Per K.A.R. 91-38-6, the physical requirement shall be those found in the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulation 49 C.F.R. 391.41 which states .“A person subject to this part must not operate a commercial motor vehicle (in our case a school/activity bus and or school vehicle) unless he or she is medically certified as physically qualified to do so”. The Kansas Department of Education is committed to having Kansas School/Activity Bus and or School Vehicle Drivers be medically certified and physically qualified and has no intention of deviating from this requirement.

The physical shall be completed using either the Federal Medical Examiners Report and Certificate or the Kansas State Department of Education Medical Examiners Report and Certificate. 

Physical Forms

Physical forms for CDL holders which have declared category #1 on their medical self-certification.

Federal Medical Examination Report MSCA 5875 FMCSA website

Federal Medical Examiner's Certificate FMCSA website

An Activity/School Bus Driver who is employed only by a school district and has declared category #2  on their medical self-certification may use the exception for government entities found in 49 CFR 390.3 and use the KSDE Physical Form.  Any Non-CDL School Passenger Vehicle Driver primarily hired to provide transportation, who is required a DOT physical, may use the KSDE Physical Form. The KSDE physical form may be completed by a driver's family physician or other medical examiner of their choice, who is not on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners perform the physical. A Doctor Notification document may be provided to the medical examiner to explain this exception.

KSDE Physical Form & Medical Examiner Certificate (SBSU_MER_MEC)

Medical Self-Certification Information

KSDE Waiver Process Information and Forms which may be used to meet the physical waiver requirements found in KAR 91-38-6

Tuberculosis Testing

Kansas Law (KSA 72-6626), requires employees of the school district, who come in regular contact with the pupils of the school district, to submit a certification of health and this certificate shall establish the employee is free from tuberculosis. 

Certification of Health for School Personnel Form is to be completed by the applicant, or employee, and signed by a Licensed Physician stating that the individual has been tested for Tuberculosis pursuant to KSA 72-6626

 

Kansas Department of Health & Environment Tuberculosis Program KDHE website

Insulin Treated Diabetes

Insulin dependency is a disqualifier for the Kansas Bus Driver DOT physical requirement under 49 CFR 391.41. Once the driver, who is required a  DOT Physical under KAR  91-38-6, begins taking Insulin to control diabetes their current medical examiner's certificate becomes null and void.

FMCSA has a process by which the doctor who is prescribing insulin can complete a MCSA-5870 form (FMCSA website) if the driver meets certain conditions. This form then goes to the medical examiner who makes the final decision on whether or not the driver can drive for 12 months.
 
KSDE will accept this form and process. However, please remember even if the doctor treating the diabetes and prescribing the insulin completes the form, the medical examiner who performs the physical, may not agree or approve and issue a valid medical examiner's certificate. This form is only valid for one year.

A driver, taking Insulin to control diabetes, would also be able to apply for a Kansas State Department of Education DOT physical waiver under KAR 91-38-6. This wavier, if approved by the district's governing board, is only valid for operation of the districts vehicles in the state of Kansas.

49 CFR 391.41 Excerpt:
Physical qualifications for drivers
(b) A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if that person—
(3) Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus currently requiring insulin for control;

 

For more information, contact:

Keith Dreiling, State Director
(785) 296-4567
(785) 296-6659 - fax

Mitch Mellick, Transportation Specialist
(785) 296-4545