Albany, New York – Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach) announced she helped pass legislation that would require installation of safety cameras on school buses to monitor overtaking and passing violations, A. 4950. Pheffer Amato is a co-sponsor on the bill and recently called for passage in the Assembly.

“This bill will expand the enforcement tools available and seeks to significantly lessen the numbers of violations that continue to compromise the health, safety and well-being of our students who ride school buses,” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said. “I commend Assemblyman Magnarelli, the sponsor of this bill, and am happy to announce passage in the Assembly!”

Specifically the legislation would authorize municipalities to equip school buses with safety cameras capable of capturing footage of vehicles that illegally pass school buses displaying red visual signals intended to remind drivers to stop while students board or exit the bus.

In 2013 it was estimated that there were 64,000 illegal school bus passes in a single day in New York State. Under current law, a ticket for illegally passing a stopped school bus displaying a red visual signal can only be issued by a police officer who witnesses the violation. This bill provides for additional enforcement options by authorizing local governments to impose liability for the failure of drivers to comply with the law prohibiting the overtaking and passing of stopped school buses displaying red visual signals.