Assembly Bill 561 aims to enhance the enforcement of traffic laws related to illegally passing school buses by allowing the use of photographic or video evidence to issue citations for such violations. The bill modifies existing statutes to enable school bus operators and third-party vendors monitoring these systems to report violations detected through video or photographic means. It eliminates specific timeframes for reporting violations and issuing citations, allows for citations to be served by first-class mail instead of certified mail, and increases the maximum forfeiture for vehicle owner liability from $300 to $500.

Additionally, the bill creates provisions for school boards to install and monitor photographic or video systems on school buses to capture evidence of violations. It renumbers and amends various sections of the law to reflect these changes, including the creation of new subsections that outline the responsibilities of school bus operators and third-party vendors in reporting violations. The overall goal of the bill is to improve safety for schoolchildren by ensuring stricter penalties for drivers who fail to stop for school buses displaying flashing red lights.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 346.485(3), 346.485, 346.485(4), 346.49(3), 346.49