Key legislation authored by Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater) was recently heard in the Senate Transportation Committee. In an effort to make kids safer on their way to and from school, the bill seeks to impose fines on those who violate the school bus stop arm law.

In current law, when an individual is convicted of violating this law, potential punishments include a misdemeanor and mandatory minimum fine of no less than $500, or a gross misdemeanor and mandatory minimum fine of no less than $500, with the penalty being dependent on what side of the bus a driver passes on.

This legislation would update those fines: the mandatory minimum would remain the same for the first offense, but would increase to $700 for the second offense, and $950 for the third offense. The bill also allows for judges and juries to go above and beyond these fees if they see fit.

“The main problem we’re faced with is that the fine is the same whether you violate the law once, twice, or a hundred times, and based on data regarding stop arm violations, it’s clear we need stronger deterrents in order to keep our kids safe on their way to and from school,” said Housley.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety in a 2022 study, there were 1,003 stop arm violations in a single day, which would yield to over 165,000 per year if the trend follows.

Housley also chief authored legislation in 2023 that funded the equipping of school bus stop-signal arms with camera systems, as a way to record instances of violations. According to testimony provided by Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Brian Rue, 60% of Minnesota’s buses have been outfitted with the camera systems, that leaves 40% still without the technology.

“Our hope is that this further deters people from breaking the law. There will always be drivers who act selfishly on the road, but the combination of arm cameras and higher fines are a great step in the direction of keeping our students as safe as possible when getting on and off school buses. At the end of the day, it’s about keeping our kids safe, and I’m hopeful this will ensure that bad apples who break this law multiple times will be held accountable for their actions,” finished Housley.

The bill was heard in the Transportation Committee and was re-referred to the Judiciary committee, where it is scheduled to be heard next week.