State Rep. Jack O’Malley, of Lake Ann, is spearheading a bipartisan plan to improve school bus safety in Michigan.

“We have a duty to look out for our young people and ensure they are safe on their way to and from school,” said O’Malley, chair of the House Transportation Committee. “This isn’t a partisan issue. We can all agree that we want our children to be kept safe while they’re on the bus.”

O’Malley’s bill in the package, specifically, defines who is and isn’t allowed on a school bus and sets a misdemeanor for entering on without permission punishable by up to 93 days in prison or a fine of up to $100. Similarly, a felon entering with intent to do bodily harm could face imprisonment for up to a year and a fine of up to $500.

Other bills in the package:

·         Designate “entering a school bus with intent to bodily harm” as a felony punishable by up to one year in prison.

·         Require a sticker to be affixed to the side of a bus that reads “Unauthorized persons attempting to board or boarding this school bus are subject to arrest and prosecution.” The sticker has to be affixed on the left side of the service door between the bottom of the window and black rail.

·         Make failing to stop for a school bus a misdemeanor (under current law it is a civil infraction) and allow buses to be equipped with a stop-arm camera system to film evidence of said misdemeanor.

·         Specify what can be recorded by a stop-arm camera.

House Bills 5038-5042 now wait for committee referral.

###