On February 8, 2024, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 356- School Bus Stops- Monitoring Cameras and Safety Measures. This bill requires local law enforcement agencies to issue a warning instead of a citation for a certain school bus stop violation on state highways.
Penalties for the types of violations set forth in this bill are assigned by the state and are substantial. Counties are authorized to enforce those penalties. Removing this compliance tool is unwise.
A warning, without a civil fine, does not elicit the same response as when an actual penalty accompanies the violation. A first-time penalty is proven to drastically reduce recidivism rates immediately, advancing the true policy goal: safer roadways for students. Waiting for a second violation before applying a penalty leaves the possibility open for hundreds of thousands of drivers to make the mistake again, which simply serves to multiply the danger that students experience in these environments.
HB 356’s cross-file, SB 406, was heard on March 6, 2024 in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Sarah Sample testified in opposition to this bill.
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