Amd §§375 & 227, add §1174-a, V & T L; amd §§3621 & 3623-a, Ed L; amd §87, Pub Off L
Enacts the "school bus camera safety act" to authorize the installation and use of photo monitoring devices on school buses to detect and record vehicles illegally passing or overtaking a school bus; provides for owner liability of a motor vehicle detected by a camera to have illegally passed or overtaken a school bus; provides that liability shall be a civil fine equal to the traffic infraction fine imposed therefor; authorizes school districts to receive state aid for the purchase of such cameras.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1520C
SPONSOR: Magnarelli (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the
education law, in relation to authorizing the installation and use of
safety cameras on school buses for the purpose of monitoring overtaking
and passing of school bus violations; to amend the vehicle and traffic
law and the public officers law, in relation to owner liability for an
operator illegally overtaking or passing a school bus; and providing for
the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
PURPOSE:
To enact the "School Bus Camera Safety Act" to authorize the installa-
tion and use of photo monitoring devices on school buses to detect and
record vehicles illegally passing or overtaking a school bus.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Creates the title of the bill as the "School Bus Camera Safe-
ty Act.
Section 2: Provides the legislative intent of the bill.
Section 3: Amends the vehicle and traffic law (VTL) by adding a new
subdivision 21-j to authorize the installation of stop arm cameras on
school buses.
Section 4: Adds new section 1174-A to VTL to define "school bus safety
cameras" as "automated photo monitoring devices affixed to a school bus
and designed to detect and store an image of motor vehicles which over-
take or pass school buses in violation of state law which prohibits the
passing of stopped school buses."
This section allows school districts to install and use school bus safe-
ty cameras and to contract with law enforcement agencies to process and
assess fines for violations. It also allows schools to contract with
private vendors for the installation, operation, notice processing and
administration and maintenance of school bus safety cameras. Further, it
allows schools to enter into agreements with local governing authorities
to offset the expenses relating to the ongoing operation of school bus
safety cameras, provided that the net proceeds of any penalty, after the
expenses of administration, collected by a traffic violations bureau or
court shall be expended for programs related to improving public safety
and/or school district safety in the municipality in which the violation
occurred.
The bill provides that the photos shall only show the front or rear
license plate of vehicles while the bus is at a full stop.
Establishes a fine of $250 for passing a stopped school bus. This
section also establishes the process whereby law enforcement will
inspect photographic and video evidence of violations and shall issue
tickets with a copy of the photo and video. It requires that any photos
that are not found to depict or result in liability of a violation of
the law prohibiting passing a stopped school bus be destroyed within two
days.
This section also clarifies that a conviction due to photographic
evidence from a school bus safety camera of a violation of passing a
stopped school bus shall not be made part of the operating record of a
driver or used of insurance purposes in the provision of motor vehicle
insurance coverage. (Violations captured by cameras will not result in
points on license for insurance purposes, but they will result in the
same amount of fines as those cited without use of the cameras.)
Provides that the tickets ("simplified traffic informations") for
violations shall contain the names, address registration number and
details of where such violation is alleged to take place. The tickets
also shall contain information advising the person being charged where
they may contest it and that they are required to respond or they will
be deemed liable for the violation if they fail to respond.
Provides an exemption for vehicle owners from liability if it can be
proved that the vehicle was stolen or that the owner is a lessor of such
vehicle. Further, if the owner who is liable for a violation under this
section was not the actual operator of the vehicle at the time of the
violation, the owner may maintain an action for indemnification against
the operator.
This section also provides that the school bus safety cameras shall be
used solely for the purposes of carrying out photo-monitoring and vide-
otaping of violations of passing stopped school buses.
Section 5: Amends education law section 3621 to add a new subdivision 16
to define school bus safety cameras.
Section 6: Amends section 3623-a of the education law to allow school
districts to receive state aid transportation funding for reimbursement
for purchases of the school bus safety cameras.
Section 7: Amends VTL section 227 to establish a complete defense
against the alleged violations for owners of vehicles charged with a
violation due to photographic evidence of their vehicle having passed a
stopped school bus, if they are found by a hearing officer to have not
in fact have been in operation of their own vehicle at the time of which
the violation was recorded by the school bus safety camera and did not
give another authorization to drive their vehicle.
Section 8: Amends section 87 of the public officers' law by adding a new
paragraph (o), which exempts photographs, microphotographs, videotape or
other recorded images prepared under the authority of section eleven
hundred seventy-four-a of the vehicle and traffic law from access.
Section 9: Provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation authorizes school districts and school bus transporta-
tion contractors to install school bus safety cameras, which engage once
the stop arm of the bus is extended and the bus comes to a stop to pick
up or discharge students, on their buses.
Under current law, a ticket can be issued only by a police officer who
witnesses the violation. This bill permits the evidence taken from
school bus safety cameras to be used in prosecuting violators of Section
1174 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Many efforts in New York State have already been undertaken to combat
this problem, with some positive results, such as OPERATION SAFE STOP.
However, the numbers of violations continues to be alarming. A recent
one-day survey done by the NYS Association of School Pupil Transporta-
tion yielded astounding results and underscore the need for this legis-
lation. On May 1st, 2013, the Association found that the 236 school bus
drivers who participated in the survey in 21 school districts in New
York in rural, urban and small city settings, reported 306 illegal pass-
es including 6 "right side" passes. That represents an average of 1.28
illegal passes per school bus. That number, if extrapolated, would bring
the estimated number of illegal passes in the state to over 64,000 on
that date alone.
Other studies done have estimated that more than 50,000 drivers through-
out New York on a single school day illegally pass stopped school buses.
Several other states have enacted legislation similar to this bill in
response to a growing national concern over illegal passing or 'stop arm
violations.' This legislation would add New York to the growing list of
states that recognize the safety of our children while being transported
back and forth to school should be of paramount importance. States that
have enacted similar laws include: Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina,
Iowa, Virginia, Connecticut, and Washington.
The use of stop aim cameras (school bus safety cameras)is necessary to
prevent the casualties from dangerous motorists who ignore current law.
The school bus safety act will increase enforcement of laws already on
the books and will significantly lessen the numbers of violations that
continue to compromise the safety of our students.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2013-2014: 2013-2014, A.7350 -A
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal. Costs incurred by implementing this legislation are expected to
be recovered through fines from convictions for violations.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect the November first, following enactment,
except that sections four, five, and ten shall take effect on the first
of April next succeeding the effective date of this act. The provisions
of this act shall expire and be deemed repealed September 1, 2022.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1520--C
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI, WEPRIN, GALEF, RUSSELL, HOOPER,
CUSICK, McDONOUGH, MILLER, ARROYO, GOTTFRIED, CRESPO, ROBINSON,
PICHARDO, RAMOS, FAHY, SKOUFIS, BRONSON, HUNTER -- Multi-Sponsored by
-- M. of A. CLARK, COOK, LUPARDO, McDONALD, MOSLEY, RIVERA, SEPULVEDA,
SIMON, SOLAGES, THIELE, TITONE -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted
as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the
Committee on Transportation in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2
-- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the education law, in
relation to authorizing the installation and use of safety cameras on
school buses for the purpose of monitoring overtaking and passing of
school bus violations; to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the
public officers law, in relation to owner liability for an operator
illegally overtaking or passing a school bus; and providing for the
repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "school bus camera safety act".
3 § 2. Legislative intent. In the state of New York, 2.5 million chil-
4 dren ride school buses and public transportation to and from school each
5 day. The legislature recognizes that the safe transportation of children
6 to and from school is a shared responsibility of each school district
7 and the driving public. It is the intent of this legislature to author-
8 ize school districts to utilize school bus safety camera technology,
9 which will identify drivers who violate the law by passing a stopped
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01758-19-6
A. 1520--C 2
1 school bus with its red flashing signal lamps illuminated and stop arm
2 engaged.
3 § 3. Section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
4 new subdivision 21-j to read as follows:
5 21-j. School buses owned or contracted for by a school district which
6 has adopted a resolution providing for the installation of school bus
7 safety cameras, as defined in section eleven hundred seventy-four-a of
8 this chapter, may be equipped with and operate such cameras. School
9 districts that, at the time of adoption of such a resolution, have
10 entered into a contract for transportation services, may, notwithstand-
11 ing any other provision of state law, rule or regulation, renegotiate
12 the terms of their current transportation contract for the purposes of
13 allowing the installation of school bus safety cameras. School
14 districts shall not be required to take school buses out of service if
15 such buses are not equipped with automated school bus safety cameras or
16 functional automated safety cameras.
17 School districts and school bus transportation contractors shall be
18 held harmless from and not liable for any criminal or civil liability
19 arising from the operation of school bus safety cameras. The commis-
20 sioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for the installation of
21 school bus safety cameras. A designated vendor or employee of such
22 vendor, police officer, or designated governing body employee shall not
23 be liable for any loss that occurs while acting within the scope of
24 their employment or contractual engagement to implement or enforce a
25 violation of section eleven hundred seventy-four-a of this chapter.
26 § 4. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
27 1174-a to read as follows:
28 § 1174-a. Owner liability for operator illegally overtaking or passing
29 a school bus. (a) For the purposes of this section:
30 1. "School bus safety camera" means an automated photo monitoring
31 device affixed to the outside of a school bus and designed to detect and
32 store videotape and one or more images of motor vehicles which overtake
33 or pass school buses in violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven
34 hundred seventy-four of this article.
35 2. "Owner" shall have the same meaning provided in article two-B of
36 this chapter.
37 (b) 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board of educa-
38 tion or of trustees of a school district is hereby authorized and
39 empowered to adopt a resolution providing for the installation and oper-
40 ation of school bus safety cameras upon school buses operated by or
41 contracted with such district. School districts shall not access the
42 images from such cameras but shall provide, pursuant to an agreement
43 with the appropriate law enforcement agency or agencies for the proper
44 handling and custody of such images, for the forwarding of images from
45 such cameras to a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the area
46 in which the violation occurred, for the purpose of imposing monetary
47 liability on the owner of a motor vehicle for illegally overtaking or
48 passing a school bus in violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven
49 hundred seventy-four of this article.
50 2. In such school districts that have adopted a resolution authorizing
51 the installation of such school bus safety cameras, the board of educa-
52 tion or of trustees of the school district or a school bus transporta-
53 tion contractor may, furthermore, enter into an agreement with a private
54 vendor for the installation, operation, notice processing and adminis-
55 tration, and maintenance of school bus safety cameras on buses within
56 such district's fleet. School bus transportation contractors are
A. 1520--C 3
1 empowered to purchase or lease, through a private vendor, school bus
2 safety cameras; provided, that any agreement between a school bus trans-
3 portation contractor and a private camera vendor shall stipulate that a
4 school bus transportation contractor shall only be allowed to recoup
5 expenses incurred through the installation and operation of a school bus
6 arm camera and shall not allow the school bus transportation contractor
7 to charge the camera vendor a fee for the installation, operation or
8 maintenance of such cameras, nor receive any portion of the fine for a
9 violation of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article. A
10 private camera vendor shall have the right to retain any school bus
11 safety cameras installed on a school bus after the expiration of the
12 agreement with the school bus transportation contractor, unless the
13 equipment was purchased from the vendor. Provided, further, that any
14 agreement between a school bus transportation contractor and a private
15 camera vendor shall stipulate the number of cameras to be installed
16 shall not exceed the total amount requested by the school district.
17 3. Such school bus safety cameras shall only take photographs and
18 videotape of motor vehicles and their license plates thereon, while such
19 vehicle is operated in violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven
20 hundred seventy-four of this article. No such photograph or video shall
21 reveal any occupant of a motor vehicle. Provided, however, that no
22 simplified traffic information issued pursuant to this section shall be
23 dismissed solely because a photograph or photographs allow for the iden-
24 tification of the occupants and/or contents of a motor vehicle.
25 4. Upon adoption of a resolution by a school district as required in
26 subdivision twenty-one-j of section three hundred seventy-five of this
27 chapter, such school district may enter into a memorandum of understand-
28 ing with a local governing authority to enable the implementation of the
29 provisions of this section. Such traffic violations bureau or court
30 shall make available to such school district the adjudication data
31 required by paragraph seven of subdivision (l) of this section as to
32 allow such school district to complete the report required by subdivi-
33 sion (l) of this section in a timely manner. Any intergovernmental
34 agreement pursuant to this paragraph shall inform such traffic
35 violations bureau or court of the requirements of this subdivision and
36 shall make provisions regarding the transmittal of such required infor-
37 mation. School districts that elect to purchase such cameras shall be
38 reimbursed for the cost of such cameras out of the net proceeds, after
39 the expenses of administration. Reimbursement for the cost of such
40 cameras shall not be considered generating income.
41 (c) In any school district in which school bus safety cameras are
42 installed and operated pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section, the
43 owner of a motor vehicle, upon issuance of a simplified traffic informa-
44 tion by a police officer, shall be liable for a civil penalty of two
45 hundred fifty dollars if such vehicle was used or operated with the
46 permission of the owner, express or implied, in violation of subdivision
47 (a) of such section, and such violation is evidenced by information
48 obtained from a school bus safety camera; provided, however, that no
49 owner of a vehicle shall be liable for a penalty imposed pursuant to
50 this section where the operator of such vehicle has been convicted of
51 the underlying violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred
52 seventy-four of this article. Provided, further, that the net proceeds
53 of any penalty, after the expenses of administration and operating costs
54 of the cameras, collected by a traffic violations bureau or court pursu-
55 ant to this section shall be expended for programs related to improving
56 traffic safety and/or school district safety in the municipality in
A. 1520--C 4
1 which the violation occurred. School districts are authorized to accept
2 grants from municipalities for the implementation of this section.
3 School districts may allow for a warning period of up to twenty-one days
4 from the time the first school bus safety cameras are installed in the
5 district before monetary penalties are imposed on violations occurring
6 from such cameras.
7 (d) A school district or school bus camera vendor shall forward or
8 cause to be forwarded, the images and videotape from its school bus
9 safety cameras to a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the
10 area where the violation occurred. A school bus contractor may not proc-
11 ess a violation of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article.
12 After receipt of such images, a police officer shall inspect such vide-
13 otape and images to determine whether a violation of subdivision (a) of
14 section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article was committed,
15 provided that such videotape and one or more images must display a red
16 visual signal as specified in subdivision twenty of section three
17 hundred seventy-five of this chapter. If such police officer finds that
18 such a violation occurred, he or she shall issue a simplified traffic
19 information alleging the violation, and such information with a copy of
20 the photographic image of the violation shall be mailed to the owner of
21 the motor vehicle by first class mail within thirty days of the alleged
22 violation. The videotape and images produced by a school bus safety
23 camera shall be prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein. All
24 photographic images of motor vehicles which do not depict or result in
25 liability for violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred
26 seventy-four of this article shall be destroyed by the appropriate
27 school district and law enforcement agency within two days.
28 (e) An imposition of liability pursuant to this section shall not be
29 deemed a conviction as an operator and shall not be made part of the
30 operating record of the person upon whom such liability is imposed nor
31 shall it be used for insurance purposes in the provision of motor vehi-
32 cle insurance coverage.
33 (f) 1. A simplified traffic information and the photographic image of
34 the alleged violation shall be sent by first class mail to each person
35 alleged to be liable as an owner for a violation of subdivision (a) of
36 section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article pursuant to this
37 section within thirty days if such owner is a resident of this state and
38 within forty-five business days if such owner is a non-resident,
39 provided that a warning notice and not a simplified traffic information
40 shall be sent if such violation is evidenced by information obtained
41 from a school bus safety camera that has been operational but inactive
42 for a period determined by the school district. Personal delivery on
43 the owner shall not be required. A manual or automatic record of mailing
44 prepared in the ordinary course of business shall be prima facie
45 evidence of the facts contained therein.
46 2. A simplified traffic information shall contain the name and address
47 of the person alleged to be liable as an owner for a violation of subdi-
48 vision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article pursu-
49 ant to this section, the registration number of the vehicle involved in
50 such violation, the location where such violation took place including
51 global positioning system coordinates, the date and time of such
52 violation and the identification number of the school bus safety camera
53 which recorded the violation or other document locator number.
54 3. The simplified traffic information shall contain information advis-
55 ing the person charged of the manner, the time, the place and the court
56 or administrative body in which he or she may contest the liability
A. 1520--C 5
1 alleged in the simplified traffic information. Such simplified traffic
2 information shall also contain a warning to advise the persons charged
3 that failure to answer in the manner and time provided shall be deemed
4 an admission of liability and that he or she shall be liable for failure
5 to respond to a summons.
6 (g) Adjudication of the liability imposed upon owners by this section
7 shall be by a traffic violations bureau established pursuant to section
8 three hundred seventy of the general municipal law or, if there be none,
9 by the court having jurisdiction over traffic infractions.
10 (h) If an owner receives a simplified traffic information pursuant to
11 this section for any time period during which the vehicle was stolen, it
12 shall be a valid defense to an allegation of liability for a violation
13 of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this arti-
14 cle pursuant to this section that the vehicle had been reported to the
15 police as stolen prior to the time the violation occurred and had not
16 been recovered by such time. For purposes of asserting the defense
17 provided by this subdivision it shall be sufficient that a certified
18 copy of the police report on the stolen vehicle be sent by first class
19 mail to the traffic violations bureau, court having jurisdiction or
20 parking violations bureau.
21 (i) An owner who is a lessor of a vehicle to which a simplified traf-
22 fic information was issued pursuant to this section shall not be liable
23 for the violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-
24 four of this article, provided that he or she sends to the court having
25 jurisdiction a copy of the rental, lease or other such contract document
26 covering such vehicle on the date of the violation, with the name and
27 address of the lessee clearly legible, within thirty-seven days after
28 receiving notice from the court of the date and time of such violation,
29 together with the other information contained in the original simplified
30 traffic information. Failure to send such information within such thir-
31 ty-seven day time period shall render the owner liable for the penalty
32 prescribed by this section. Where the lessor complies with the
33 provisions of this subdivision, the lessee of such vehicle on the date
34 of such violation shall be deemed to be the owner of such vehicle for
35 purposes of this section, shall be subject to liability for the
36 violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of
37 this article pursuant to this section and shall be sent a simplified
38 traffic information pursuant to this section.
39 (j) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the liability
40 of an operator of a vehicle for any violation of subdivision (a) of
41 section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article.
42 (k) The school bus safety cameras installed and operated pursuant to
43 this section shall be used solely for the purposes of carrying out
44 photo-monitoring and videotaping of violations of subdivision (a) of
45 section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article.
46 (l) In any such school district which adopts a resolution pursuant to
47 subdivision (b) of this section, such school district shall, to the
48 extent that such information is available to it, submit an annual report
49 on the results of the use of a school bus safety camera program to the
50 governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the
51 assembly on or before September first, two thousand seventeen and on or
52 before such date in each succeeding year in which the program is opera-
53 ble through September two thousand twenty-two. Such report shall
54 include, but not be limited to:
55 1. a description of the routes where school bus safety cameras were
56 used;
A. 1520--C 6
1 2. the aggregate number, type and severity of accidents caused by
2 passing a school bus in violation of section eleven hundred seventy-four
3 of this article provided, however, the school district maintains such
4 information;
5 3. the number of violations recorded for each school bus safety camera
6 and in the aggregate on a monthly basis;
7 4. the total number of notices of liability issued for violations of
8 this section;
9 5. the number of fines and total amount of fines paid after the first
10 notice of liability;
11 6. the number of violations adjudicated and results of such adjudi-
12 cations including breakdowns of disposition made for violations recorded
13 by such systems;
14 7. the total amount of revenue realized from adjudications;
15 8. expenses incurred in connection with this program by such school
16 district or private bus contractor providing transportation services for
17 the school district;
18 9. the quality of the adjudication process and its results; and
19 10. a description of public education activities conducted to warn
20 motorists of the dangers of passing a school bus.
21 (m) No owner or operator of a motor vehicle, who has been charged with
22 a violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of
23 this article in a simplified traffic information, shall be deemed to
24 have any liability for such violation pursuant to this section.
25 § 5. Section 3621 of the education law is amended by adding a new
26 subdivision 16 to read as follows:
27 16. "School bus safety camera" shall mean an automated photo monitor-
28 ing device authorized to be installed and operated on the outside of a
29 school bus pursuant to section eleven hundred seventy-four-a of the
30 vehicle and traffic law.
31 § 6. Paragraph c of subdivision 2 of section 3623-a of the education
32 law, as amended by chapter 453 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read
33 as follows:
34 c. The purchase of equipment deemed a proper school district expense,
35 including: (i) the purchase of two-way radios to be used on old and new
36 school buses, (ii) the purchase of stop-arms, to be used on old and new
37 school buses, (iii) the purchase and installation of seat safety belts
38 on school buses in accordance with the provisions of section thirty-six
39 hundred thirty-five-a of this article, (iv) the purchase of school bus
40 back up beepers, (v) the purchase of school bus front crossing arms,
41 (vi) the purchase of school bus safety sensor devices, (vii) the
42 purchase and installation of exterior reflective marking on school
43 buses, (viii) the purchase of automatic engine fire extinguishing
44 systems for school buses used to transport students who use wheelchairs
45 or other assistive mobility devices, (ix) the purchase of school bus
46 safety cameras, and [(ix)] (x) the purchase of other equipment as
47 prescribed in the regulations of the commissioner; and
48 § 7. Subdivision 3 and paragraph a of subdivision 4 of section 227 of
49 the vehicle and traffic law, subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 337 of
50 the laws of 1970 and renumbered by chapter 288 of the laws of 1989 and
51 paragraph a of subdivision 4 as amended by section 7 of part J of chap-
52 ter 62 of the laws of 2003, are amended to read as follows:
53 3. After due consideration of the evidence and arguments offered in a
54 contested case, the hearing officer shall determine whether the charges
55 have been established. In the case of an owner charged as such pursuant
56 to article twenty-nine of this chapter, it shall be a complete defense
A. 1520--C 7
1 to such charge that a vehicle alleged to be in violation was operated
2 without the permission of such owner or his or her agent and the estab-
3 lishment of lack of permission shall result in an order dismissing such
4 charge against such owner. Where the charges have not been established,
5 an order dismissing the charges shall be entered. Where a determination
6 is made that a charge has been established, either in a contested case
7 or in an uncontested case where there is an appearance before a hearing
8 officer, or if an answer admitting the charge otherwise has been
9 received, an appropriate order shall be entered in the department's
10 records.
11 a. An order entered upon the failure to answer or appear or after the
12 receipt of an answer admitting the charge or where a determination is
13 made that the charge has been established shall be civil in nature, but
14 shall be treated as a conviction for the purposes of this chapter. The
15 commissioner or his or her designee may include in such order an imposi-
16 tion of any penalty authorized by any provision of this chapter for a
17 conviction of such violation, except that no penalty [therefore] there-
18 for shall include imprisonment, nor, if monetary, exceed the amount of
19 the fine which could have been imposed had the charge been heard by a
20 court. The driver's license or privileges, or, if the charge involves a
21 violation of section three hundred eighty-five or section four hundred
22 one of this chapter by a registrant who was not the operator of the
23 vehicle, the registration of such vehicle or privilege of operation of
24 any motor vehicle owned by such registrant may be suspended pending the
25 payment of any penalty so imposed; however, in the case of an owner
26 charged as such pursuant to this article, his or her driver's license or
27 privilege shall not be affected by such order or determination other
28 than as suspension thereof for failure to appear or pay as set forth in
29 this article, nor shall a conviction hereunder of such owner as such
30 result in departmental administrative sanctions affecting his or her
31 driver's license or privilege. Any suspension issued pursuant to this
32 paragraph shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph (j-1) of
33 subdivision two of section five hundred three of this chapter.
34 § 8. Subdivision 2 of section 87 of the public officers law is amended
35 by adding a new paragraph (p) to read as follows:
36 (p) are photographs, microphotographs, videotape or other recorded
37 images prepared under the authority of section eleven hundred seventy-
38 four-a of the vehicle and traffic law. Any school district that adopts
39 a resolution providing for the installation and operation of school bus
40 safety cameras upon school buses operated by or contracted with such
41 district pursuant to section eleven hundred seventy-four-a of the vehi-
42 cle and traffic law shall notify its residents through adopted proce-
43 dures about such installation and operation before any simplified traf-
44 fic information issued based on evidence obtained by such school bus
45 safety cameras.
46 § 9. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
47 ing the date on which it shall have become a law; except that sections
48 four and five of this act shall take effect on the first of April next
49 succeeding the effective date of this act. The provisions of this act
50 shall expire and be deemed repealed September 1, 2022.
