The proposed School Bus Safety Act, introduced by Senator Gavarone, aims to improve school bus safety in Ohio through various amendments to existing laws and the establishment of new provisions. The bill introduces a civil penalty system for drivers who illegally pass school buses when they cannot be identified, promoting accountability for such violations. It also designates August as "School Bus Safety Awareness Month" to raise public awareness about the importance of stopping for school buses during loading and unloading. Additionally, the legislation creates a school bus safety fund, financed by the collected civil penalties, which will provide grants to school districts for enhancing safety features on school buses, such as external cameras and collision avoidance systems.

Moreover, the bill outlines the enforcement of school bus safety violations, allowing law enforcement to utilize images or videos from school bus cameras to confirm violations and issue citations. It establishes a process for issuing notices of violation, including the rights of registered owners to contest them. The bill also mandates that entities operating school buses must install violation detection monitoring systems before implementing the civil penalty system. Overall, the School Bus Safety Act seeks to enhance the safety of school transportation and ensure compliance with safety regulations, while streamlining the enforcement process through the repeal of certain sections of the Revised Code.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4511.75, 4511.751, 4511.76, 4511.752