A set of bills introduced by Senator Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) to improve student safety while on the school bus and at bus stops received a hearing in the Senate’s Transportation Committee today.

“We have heard testimony from experts in the past that there are thousands of stop-arm violations every year. It is a disaster waiting to happen,” Draheim said. “We should be using every single tool at our disposal to make sure children are safe when they get on and off the bus.”

• Senate File 241 would require school buses to be equipped with a stop-signal arm extension that extends a minimum of six feet from the bus. Extended stop-arms have been outfitted on school buses across the nation. A 2020 story in School Transportation News noted that extended stop-arms lead to an 89% reduction in stop-arm violations

• Senate File 243 would provide funding for a school bus safety education campaign. The campaign aims to reduce occurrences of motor vehicles illegally passing school buses, and inform drivers about laws that help us keep children safe as they board and unload from school buses.

The bills were laid over and will be considered for a larger transportation bill later in session.