Section 575IAC1-5.5-3. Wheelchairs

   (a) A student who can reasonably be moved from the student's wheelchair, stroller, or special seating device must be transferred during transportation to and from school to:

(1) an original equipment manufacturer forward facing vehicle seat equipped with dynamically tested occupant restraints; or

(2) a child seat that complies with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213.

  (b) A wheelchair must be adequately secured during transportation. An occupied wheelchair must face forward.

  (c) Occupied three-wheeled, cart-type units and other stroller-type devices may not be transported in a school bus unless there is crash test evidence to demonstrate that the unit can be secured under impact loading conditions using a four-point strap-type tiedown.

  (d) Manufacturers of the three-wheeled, cart-type units and other stroller-type devices must verify that the unit can be secured under impact loading conditions.

  (e) A wheelchair or stroller-type unit designed and approved by the manufacturer for use during transportation must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

  (f) The distance between the rearmost extremities of the wheelchair (measured at floor line) when the wheelchair is in any position and the outside rear of the bus body (not including the rear bumper), measured at the floor line must be at least the following:

(1) Six (6) inches on Type A and Type B buses.

(2) Eight (8) inches on Type C and Type D buses.

(State School Bus Committee; 575 IAC 1-5.5-3; filed May 24, 1990, 4:20 p.m.: 13 IR 1855; filed May 21, 1992, 5:00 p.m.: 15 IR 2220; filed Mar 9, 2000, 7:45 a.m.: 23 IR 1649; readopted filed Aug 18, 2006, 10:12 a.m.: 20060830-IR-575060138RFA; readopted filed Jun 19, 2007, 10:10 a.m.: 20070704-IR-575070225RFA; errata filed Jul 6, 2007, 10:04 a.m.: 20070725-IR-575070225ACA; readopted filed Nov 12, 2013, 11:21 a.m.: 20131211-IR-575130420RFA; filed Aug 15, 2014, 10:20 a.m.: 20140910-IR-575130244FRA)