Sec. 4402. Illegal passing of school buses
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/bill/116/hr/2/ih/section-4402A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall— prepare a compilation of illegal passing laws in all States, including levels of enforcement and penalties and enforcement issues with such laws and the impact of such laws on illegal passing of school buses in each State; review existing State laws that may inhibit effective school bus loading zone countermeasures, which may include laws requiring camera visibility of a driver’s face for enforcement action, laws that may reduce stop arm camera effectiveness, the need for an officer to witness the event for enforcement, and the lack of primary enforcement for texting and driving; evaluate methods used by States to review, document, and report to law enforcement school bus stop arm violations; and following the completion of the compilation, issue recommendations on best practices on the most-effective approaches to address illegal passing of school buses.
The compilation and recommendations prepared under paragraph
(1)shall be made publicly available on the website of the Department of Transportation. Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary makes the compilation and recommendations under subsection (a)(2) publicly available, the Secretary shall create and execute a public safety messaging campaign for distribution to States, divisions of motor vehicles, schools, and other public outlets to highlight the dangers of the illegal passing of school buses, and should include educating students and the public on safe loading and unloading of school buses. The Secretary shall consult with public and private school bus industry representatives and States in developing the campaign materials. The Secretary shall periodically update such materials. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall review and evaluate the effectiveness of various technologies to enhance school bus safety, including cameras, audible warning systems, enhanced lighting, and other technological solutions. The review under paragraph (1)— shall include an evaluation of the costs of new equipment and the potential impact on overall school bus ridership; shall include an evaluation of advanced technologies surrounding loading zone safety; shall include an evaluation of motion-activated detection systems that are capable of— detecting pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users located near the exterior of the school bus; and alerting the operator of the school bus of the road users described in clause (i); shall include an evaluation of school bus lighting systems, to ensure clear communication to surrounding drivers on their appropriate action; and may include other technological solutions that enhance school bus safety. The Secretary shall consult with manufacturers of school bus vehicles, manufacturers of various technologies, and school bus industry representatives in conducting the review under paragraph (1). The Secretary shall make the findings of the review under paragraph
(1)publicly available on the website of the Department. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— review driver education materials across all States to determine whether and how illegal passing of school buses is addressed in driver education materials, manuals, non-commercial driver’s license testing, and road tests; and make recommendations on how States can improve education about illegal passing of school buses, particularly with new drivers. The Secretary shall consult with school bus industry representatives, States, motor vehicle administrators, and other appropriate motor vehicle experts in the preparation of the review under paragraph (1). The Secretary shall make the findings of the review under paragraph
(1)publicly available on the website of the Department. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— research the connections between illegal passing of school buses and other safety issues, including distracted driving, morning darkness, illumination and reach of vehicle headlights, speed limits, and school bus stop locations in rural areas; and create a report containing the findings. The Secretary shall make the report created under paragraph (1)(B) publicly available on the website of the Department.