FINAL BILL REPORT
SSB 5540
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
C 375 L 11
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Authorizing the use of automated school bus safety cameras.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Hobbs, Delvin, King and Hewitt).
Senate Committee on Transportation
House Committee on Transportation
Background: Under current law, the driver of a vehicle, upon overtaking or meeting from either direction any school bus which has stopped on the roadway for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school children, must stop the vehicle before reaching the school bus when there is in operation a visual stop signal on the school bus. The driver must not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the visual stop signals are no longer activated.
Summary: An automated school bus safety camera is a device affixed to a school bus for the purposes of recording one or more sequenced photographs of the rear of a vehicle that drives past school buses when the stop paddle and flashing lights are deployed.
School districts are authorized to install automated school bus safety cameras on school buses to detect vehicles that fail to stop for a school bus that displays a stop signal if the use of the cameras is approved by a vote of the school district board of directors.
How the photographs may be taken and used, how long the photographs may be retained, and how the infractions are issued is limited.
How school districts may enter into contracts with camera vendors and how the vendors may be compensated is limited.
Infractions issued by automated school bus safety cameras must be processed like parking infractions and any revenue collected, less the cost to operate the program, must be remitted to school districts for school zone safety projects.
The maximum monetary penalty for failure to stop for a school bus that displays a stop signal is limited, when the infraction is generated by an automated school bus safety camera, to twice the amount permitted under the penalty schedule. The maximum amount of the penalty is currently set at $394.
Votes on Final Passage:
Senate | 49 | 0 | |
House | 93 | 3 | (House amended) |
Senate | 45 | 1 | (Senate concurred) |
Effective: | July 22, 2011. |
Contingent (Sections 5, 7 and 9). |