“This approach ensures that the districts can address their unique pupil transportation situation, express their needs for school bus safety features and qualify for funding,” said co-sponsor Ohio House Rep. Bernard Willis, R-Springfield.
The original idea for the bill was putting seat belts in all buses, but the idea got pushback after detractors noted school buses are meant to be safe without seat belts.
Willis said school districts also worried about the cost of implementing the required safety features. Willis said he worked closely with school districts on this bill.
Willis said there would also be money provided for public service education campaigns to make sure people understand the importance of school bus safety and the increased penalties for passing school buses illegally.
Under the bill the penalty for illegally passing a school bus for the first time would include a $250 to $1,000 fine instead of the current $0 to $500 fine, a three month to two-year license suspension and two points on the driver’s license.
If a first-time offender attends and successfully completes a school bus safety course, the court can lower the fine to $150 and the points on the license could be waived.
The court is required to suspend the driver’s license of anyone who illegally passes a school bus again within five years of their current violation. Additionally, a repeat offender is required to attend and successfully complete a school bus safety course.
Willis began looking into improving safety on school buses after an 11-year-old Clark County boy was killed in a school bus crash on the first day of school for the Northwestern school district in the 2023-2024 school year.
The driver of the 2010 Honda Odyssey who crossed over the center line of state Route 41 and hit the school bus, Hermanio Joseph, did not have a valid driver’s license during the crash and has since been sentenced to prison for between nine and 13.5 years.
“The bottom line is, our children’s safety comes first, and this bill creates school bus safety laws and provisions which will allow us to be better able to protect our children than under current law and hold responsible those who endanger them in violation of Ohio law,” said Ohio House Rep. Richard Brown, D-Canal Winchester, a co-sponsor of the updated bill.
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