On Thursday, the Florida House passed without opposition a bill from state Reps. Adrian Zika, R-Land O’Lakes, and Emily Slosberg, D-Delray Beach, increasing penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus.
The proposal “doubles the fines for illegally passing a stopped school bus while students are getting on or off the bus and increases driver’s license suspension penalties.”
The two state representatives weighed in on the proposal on Thursday.
“I’m happy to have sponsored this great legislation,” said Zika. “This school bus safety legislation sends a message that the Florida House of Representatives takes the issue of safety at our bus stops seriously. This is an important bill for our communities.”
“We have a responsibility to make sure that every student is safe when they travel to and from school. HB 37 does just that by increasing the fines for careless drivers who endanger our students. I am thankful for the strong bipartisan support this bill received and for the support of the Palm Beach County Transportation Department,” Slosberg said.
State Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor, has introduced the companion proposal over in the Senate and it has been gaining traction through the committee process.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
Steve Hicks
February 28, 2020, 10:10 am at 10:10 am
I’ll finish the article for you;
The fines will go from $100 to $200 first offense. Second offense is $200 plus 180 days license suspension.
If you pass the bus on the side the students enter and exit the bus, the fine goes from $200 to $400. All of this is while the bus is stopped picking up or dropping off students with Red lights flashing.