by Nicole Piscitani, deputy director of legislative services • Jan. 27, 2025
The Ohio House majority caucus released its priority bills last week, and the School Bus Safety Act, House Bill (HB) 3, was reintroduced and given a spot on the priority list.
Rep. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield) returns as the bill’s sponsor after working diligently in the 135th General Assembly to try to pass it. As a quick refresher on the efforts made in the 135th General Assembly, House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Riordan T. McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) conducted several interested party meetings to craft a bill to address several school bus safety issues. McClain formed a consensus on many of the issues, and HB 279 became the vehicle to address school bus safety issues.
HB 279 had several hearings in both House Transportation Committee and House Finance Committee but did not make it across the finish line before the Ohio General Assembly closed business via sine die. HB 3 is now the school bus safety bill and contains the language from HB 279.
The bill increases penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading passengers. The increased penalties not only require a fine but also increase the length of any driver’s license suspension imposed and create a tiered system with greater penalties for repeat offenders. Current law does not require a minimum fine but makes it permissive. A study conducted as part of the School Bus Safety Advisory Task Force found that little to no fines were imposed on offenders who passed a stopped school bus. Additionally, the bill requires that all repeat offenders attend and successfully complete a school bus safety course developed by the director of public safety. It authorizes first-time offenders to take the course to lower their fine and waive the imposition of points on their license.
The bill also creates the School Bus Safety Fund, which a school district can use to improve the school buses in its fleet. The bill outlines various equipment that a school district could choose to use the funds for, including:
- external school bus cameras;
- crossing arms;
- lane-departure warning systems;
- electronic stability control;
- lighted crossover mirrors;
- Colorado rack test-approved bus frames;
- fully illuminated stop arms located at the front and rear of a school bus;
- fully illuminated "school bus" signs;
- collision-avoidance systems;
- all light-emitting diode lights;
- ground wash lights;
- reflective chevron;
- occupant restraining devices that conform to the school bus seat belt requirements of 49 Code of Federal Regulations 571;
- additional safety features that become available through advancements in technology and that are approved by the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The ODEW director is responsible for administering the fund and may use money in the fund for two purposes — grants to school districts for installing school bus safety features and to provide financial support to ODEW and ODPS for educating the public on school bus safety laws.
Regarding school bus cameras, the bill provides additional language on using those cameras. The bill authorizes the installation and use of school bus camera equipment that can capture an image, images or video solely for the purposes of recording drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus. ODPS, with the advice of ODEW, must adopt and enforce rules governing the school bus camera equipment. The bill prohibits a camera system from being used for automated enforcement. The school bus driver must first report an alleged illegal passing, then law enforcement is given explicit authority to have access to the images and/or video that is captured from the school bus camera. Law enforcement may use those images to issue a citation.
The Ohio General Assembly will also be working on the transportation budget bill and the biennial budget bill during the first six months of this General Assembly. HB 3 could move through the process as a stand-alone bill or be amended into either the transportation or biennial budget bills.