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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=18357
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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: May 13, 2015 04:49 PM
From: Representative Seth M. Grove
To: All House members
Subject: Automated Enforcement for Illegally Passing a School Bus (Formerly HB 1580)
 
I am preparing to reintroduce legislation House Bill 1580 from last session which addresses a rather understated problem in our Commonwealth: drivers illegally passing school buses. Over the years, we as legislators have heard from constituents in the school bus industry and school districts about the prevalence of drivers passing a school bus while children are entering and departing from the school bus. My legislation amends the Vehicle Code so we can reduce the number of these instances by utilizing enforcement technology. The legislation also holds the violators accountable in a more consistent and accurate manner, and, above all, further provides for the safety of our Commonwealth’s children.

Data collected for the past four years shows an increase in Title 75 Section 3345 (a) violation occurrences, which constitutes a $250 fine, a 60-day driver’s license suspension, and 5 points. Currently, school bus drivers are charged with providing information related to these violations, but, despite the collection of details required to pursue a violation, more often than not, the charges are changed in some way – i.e. downgraded. Utilizing safe and proven technology, automated enforcement of these violations can provide increased accountability of drivers and remove the burden from school bus drivers to bear witness to all facets of the violations when their primary goal is to ensure the safe transportation of the children in their charge.

My legislation would amend Title 75 to allow for the placement of cameras on school buses to capture instances of Section 3345 (a) violations, related to meeting or overtaking a school bus when the red signal lights on the school bus are flashing and the side stop signal arms are activated. The program would be completely optional so no school district or company contracted to provide transportation services for a school district would be required to utilize the technology. Additionally, the use of the automated enforcement technology would only be authorized at approved bus stop locations and provide for all the necessary exemptions currently outlined in Pennsylvania law, i.e. emergency vehicles. Finally, the legislation proposes a tiered penalty system for violators.

Please join me and co-sponsor this legislation. If you have any questions please contact Jordan Grant in my office by email at Jgrant@pahousegop.com or by phone at 717-767-3947.

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Introduced as HB1249