Massachusetts SD 456: An Act relative to school bus safety

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 456 FILED ON: 1/14/2019
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2075

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Diana DiZoglio
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to school bus safety.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Diana DiZoglio First Essex
Joanne M. Comerford Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester 1/24/2019

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 456 FILED ON: 1/14/2019
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2075
By Ms. DiZoglio, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2075) of Diana DiZoglio and
Joanne M. Comerford for legislation relative to school bus safety. Transportation.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1968 OF 2017-2018.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)
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An Act relative to school bus safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Section 14 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
2 inserting after section 14B the following section:-
3 Section 14C. (a) In addition to other monitoring devices lawfully authorized to be
4 installed in school buses and notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any city
5 or town within the Commonwealth is hereby authorized to install and operate live digital video
6 school bus violation detection monitoring systems for purpose of enforcing violations against the
7 owner of a motor vehicle whose vehicle failed to stop for a school bus when required to do so by
8 the provisions of Section 14. Such systems shall be limited to monitor and detect violations of
9 motorists failing to stop for a school bus. (b) (1) As used in this section, the following words
10 shall have the following meanings: “School bus violation detection monitoring system” a camera

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11 system that shall monitor and detect motor vehicles overtaking or passing school buses when
12 said buses are stopped and displaying front and rear alternating flashing red signal lamps as
13 provided in section seven B, and which has been stopped to allow pupils to alight from or board
14 the same. It shall be a system with two or more camera sensors and computers that produce live
15 digital and recorded video and 2 or more film or digital photographic still images of each motor
16 vehicle at the time it is used or operated in a manner that is in violation of Section 14 of Chapter
17 90. “Stop arm traffic control sign” a stop sign mounted on a mechanical arm installed on a school
18 bus which is deployed when a school bus is stopped to allow pupils to alight from or board the
19 same and notify motorists when it they are required to stop and when they can proceed.
20 “Violation” the failure of an operator of a motor vehicle to comply with the laws, codes,
21 regulations, by-laws, ordinances, rules or other forms of legislation governing the traffic control
22 requirements for school buses stopped to allow pupils to alight from or board same for which a
23 school bus violation detection monitoring system is installed and in operation. (2) All systems
24 installed for use under this section shall produce an evidence file that includes a live visual image
25 viewable remotely, a recorded image of the license plate and be able to record the date, time and
26 location of the vehicle committing the violation. An affidavit shall be signed by a person trained
27 to observe and detect such violations who witnesses the violation via live video provided by the
28 school bus violation detection monitoring system. (3) Recorded video images and still
29 photographic images must record the rear of the motor vehicle, with at least 1 photographic
30 image and one recorded video image clearly recording the motor vehicle immediately before the
31 violation of the stop arm traffic control sign and at least 1 photographic image and one recorded
32 video image recording the motor vehicle passing the stopped school bus with the stop arm traffic
33 control sign deployed in violation of the stop arm traffic control sign. Additionally, at least 1

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34 photographic image and 1 recorded video image must clearly identify the license plate of the
35 motor vehicle. (4) To the extent practicable, any school bus violation detection monitoring
36 system shall use necessary technologies to ensure that photographs or recorded video images
37 produced by the school bus violation detection monitoring system shall not include a frontal
38 view photograph or video image of the motor vehicle that is in violation of the stop arm traffic
39 control sign or images that identify the operator, the passengers,