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                       ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5114

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Murray, Bailey, Bauer, Thorsness, Erwin, Gaspard, A. Smith, Rinehart, Madsen, Talmadge, Wojahn, Rasmussen, Conner and Snyder; by request of Task Force on Student Transp. Safety).

Read first time March 7, 1991.Requiring safety enhancements for student transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to student transportation; adding a new section to chapter 46.37 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 46.37 RCW to read as follows:

     Effective September 1, 1992, every school bus shall, in addition to any other equipment required by this chapter, be equipped with a crossing arm mounted to the bus that, when extended, will require students who are crossing in front of the bus to walk more than five feet from the front of the bus.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      By October 1, 1991, the superintendent of public instruction shall purchase the crossing arms required in section 1 of this act for every public school bus owned by a school district or under contract by a school district.  By March 1, 1992, the superintendent of public instruction shall distribute, or have distributed, the crossing arms to the school districts. Installation of the crossing arms shall be the responsibility of the school districts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.      The superintendent of public instruction shall, in cooperation with at least one school district, conduct a pilot program to test the feasibility of using video cameras inside of school buses to reduce discipline problems and assist school bus drivers in identifying students who create discipline problems.  The superintendent of public instruction shall report the findings to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 31, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1991, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.