(1) Any person, before operating a school bus, including any school bus which transports students by direct contract with the students or their parents and not owned by or under contract with the school district or nonpublic school, shall submit himself or herself to an examination by a licensed physician to determine whether or not he or she meets the physical and mental standards established pursuant to section 79-607 and shall furnish to the school board or board of education or the governing authority of a nonpublic school a written report of each such examination on standard forms prescribed by the State Department of Education, signed by the person conducting the same, showing that he or she is qualified to operate a school bus and that he or she meets the physical and mental standards.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person operating a school bus to be or remain on duty for a longer period than sixteen consecutive hours. When any person operating a bus has been continuously on duty for sixteen hours, he or she shall be relieved and not be permitted or required to again go on duty without having at least ten consecutive hours’ rest off duty, and no such operator, who has been on duty sixteen hours in the aggregate in any twenty-four-hour period, shall be required or permitted to continue or again go on duty without having had at least eight consecutive hours off duty.

(3) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor. His or her contract with the school district shall be canceled as provided in section 79-607.