Bill Text: IA SF2021 | 2011-2012 | 84th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to school bus safety, including providing penalties for failure to obey school bus warning lamps and stop signal arms, providing for a school bus safety study, and making an appropriation.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-18 - Subcommittee, Hogg, Boettger, and Sodders. S.J. 86. [SF2021 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2011-SF2021-Introduced.html
Senate
File
2021
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2021
BY
RAGAN
and
BARTZ
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
school
bus
safety,
including
providing
1
penalties
for
failure
to
obey
school
bus
warning
lamps
and
2
stop
signal
arms,
providing
for
a
school
bus
safety
study,
3
and
making
an
appropriation.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
Section
321.372,
Code
2011,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
5.
a.
The
driver
of
a
school
bus
who
3
commits
a
violation
of
subsection
1
or
2
is
guilty
of
a
simple
4
misdemeanor
punishable
as
a
scheduled
violation
under
section
5
805.8A,
subsection
10.
6
b.
A
person
convicted
of
a
violation
of
subsection
3
is
7
subject
to
the
following:
8
(1)
For
a
first
offense
under
subsection
3,
the
person
9
is
guilty
of
a
simple
misdemeanor
punishable
by
a
fine
of
at
10
least
two
hundred
fifty
dollars
but
not
more
than
six
hundred
11
seventy-five
dollars.
12
(2)
For
a
second
or
subsequent
offense
under
subsection
3,
13
the
person
is
guilty
of
a
serious
misdemeanor.
14
Sec.
2.
Section
321.482A,
unnumbered
paragraph
1,
Code
15
2011,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
16
Notwithstanding
section
321.482
,
a
person
who
is
convicted
17
of
operating
a
motor
vehicle
in
violation
of
section
321.178,
18
subsection
2
,
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(2),
section
19
321.180B,
subsection
6
,
section
321.194,
subsection
1
,
20
paragraph
“c”
,
section
321.256
,
section
321.257
,
section
21
321.275,
subsection
4
,
section
321.276,
321.297
,
321.298
,
22
321.299
,
321.302
,
321.303
,
321.304
,
321.305
,
321.306
,
321.307
,
23
321.308
,
section
321.309,
subsection
2
,
or
section
321.311
,
24
321.319
,
321.320
,
321.321
,
321.322
,
321.323
,
321.323A
,
321.324
,
25
321.324A
,
321.327
,
321.329
,
or
321.333
,
or
321.372,
subsection
26
3,
causing
serious
injury
to
or
the
death
of
another
person
27
may
be
subject
to
the
following
penalties
in
addition
to
the
28
penalty
provided
for
a
scheduled
violation
in
section
805.8A
or
29
any
other
penalty
provided
by
law:
30
Sec.
3.
Section
805.8A,
subsection
10,
paragraph
b,
Code
31
Supplement
2011,
is
amended
by
striking
the
paragraph.
32
Sec.
4.
SCHOOL
BUS
SAFETY
STUDY
——
APPROPRIATION.
33
1.
The
department
of
transportation
shall
conduct
a
study
34
relating
to
school
bus
safety,
or
may
contract
with
an
outside
35
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vendor
to
conduct
such
a
study
under
the
direction
of
the
1
department.
The
study
shall
focus
on
the
use
of
cameras
2
mounted
on
school
buses
to
enhance
the
safety
of
children
3
riding
the
buses
and
to
aid
in
enforcement
of
motor
vehicle
4
laws
pertaining
to
school
bus
safety.
The
study
shall
also
5
consider
the
feasibility
of
requiring
school
children
to
be
6
picked
up
and
dropped
off
on
the
side
of
the
road
on
which
7
their
home
is
located,
the
inclusion
of
school
bus
safety
as
a
8
priority
in
driver
training
curriculum,
and
any
other
issues
9
deemed
appropriate
by
the
department.
The
department
shall
10
report
its
findings
and
recommendations
to
the
general
assembly
11
on
or
before
December
31,
2012.
12
2.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
statutory
allocations
13
fund
to
the
department
of
transportation
an
amount
sufficient
14
to
fund
the
study
required
under
this
section.
15
Sec.
5.
EFFECTIVE
UPON
ENACTMENT.
The
section
of
this
16
Act
providing
for
a
school
bus
safety
study,
being
deemed
of
17
immediate
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
18
EXPLANATION
19
This
bill
contains
provisions
relating
to
school
bus
safety.
20
Under
current
law,
when
the
driver
of
a
vehicle
meets
a
21
school
bus
with
flashing
amber
warning
lights,
the
driver
is
22
required
to
reduce
the
vehicle’s
speed
to
not
more
than
20
23
miles
per
hour
and,
when
the
stop
signal
arm
on
the
bus
is
24
extended,
bring
the
vehicle
to
a
complete
stop
and
remain
25
stopped
until
the
stop
arm
is
retracted.
The
driver
of
a
26
vehicle
overtaking
a
school
bus
may
not
pass
the
school
bus
27
when
the
bus’s
red
or
amber
warning
lights
are
flashing.
28
When
the
bus’s
stop
signal
arm
is
extended,
the
driver
of
29
an
overtaking
vehicle
must
stop
at
least
15
feet
from
the
30
school
bus
and
remain
stopped
until
the
stop
arm
is
retracted
31
and
the
bus
resumes
motion.
Currently,
a
violation
of
these
32
requirements
is
a
simple
misdemeanor,
punishable
by
a
scheduled
33
fine
of
$200.
Pursuant
to
Code
section
321.372A,
a
citation
34
for
such
a
violation
can
be
issued
to
the
owner
of
the
vehicle
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if
the
identity
of
the
driver
cannot
be
determined
by
the
1
investigating
peace
officer.
2
The
bill
increases
the
penalty
for
a
first
offense
to
a
3
simple
misdemeanor
punishable
by
a
fine
of
at
least
$250
but
4
not
more
than
$675.
In
addition,
a
person
convicted
of
a
5
simple
misdemeanor
may
be
subject
to
confinement
for
no
more
6
than
30
days.
7
The
bill
provides
that
a
second
or
subsequent
violation
is
8
punishable
as
a
serious
misdemeanor.
A
serious
misdemeanor
is
9
punishable
by
confinement
for
no
more
than
one
year
and
a
fine
10
of
at
least
$315
but
not
more
than
$1,875.
11
The
bill
adds
failure
to
obey
school
bus
warning
lights
and
12
stop
arm
signals
to
the
list
of
violations
for
which
additional
13
penalties
may
apply
in
cases
involving
serious
injury
or
death.
14
A
violation
causing
serious
injury
may
subject
the
driver
to
15
an
additional
fine
of
$500
or
driver’s
license
suspension
for
16
not
more
than
90
days,
or
both.
A
violation
causing
death
may
17
subject
the
driver
to
an
additional
fine
of
$1,000
or
driver’s
18
license
suspension
for
not
more
than
180
days,
or
both.
19
The
bill
requires
the
department
of
transportation
to
20
conduct,
or
contract
for,
a
study
relating
to
school
bus
21
safety,
focusing
on
the
effectiveness
of
cameras
mounted
on
22
school
buses.
A
report
to
the
general
assembly
regarding
23
the
department’s
findings
and
recommendations
is
due
by
24
December
31,
2012.
The
bill
contains
an
appropriation
from
25
the
statutory
allocations
fund
to
pay
the
costs
of
conducting
26
the
study.
These
provisions
relating
to
the
school
bus
safety
27
study
are
effective
upon
enactment
of
the
bill.
28
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