Rhode Island is on the road to requiring that all school buses have video systems to help monitor traffic violations and keep students, aides, and bus drivers safe.
Governor Dan McKee ceremonially signed the legislation (S0568A/H5421Aaa) into law at Pleasant View Elementary School in Smithfield today.
The required systems will be used to monitor school bus violations, such as when vehicles pass a school bus while red lights are flashing. Before this legislation, violations for illegally passing a school bus could only be enforced if a police officer was physically present at the time of the offense.
The legislation requires the cameras on new school buses to be active starting July 1, 2027, although the law also offers a “grace period” for these systems to be used on all Rhode Island school buses—new and existing—by July 1, 2032.
“With this legislation, we’re putting the safety of our students first,” said McKee.
“This bill is necessary for student safety, driver safety, and monitor safety,” said Representative Thomas E. Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick), a retired officer with the Coventry Police Department. Noret said he spoke with the school bus operations in one of the communities he represents, and they said the time frame for budgeting, allocation, and implementation was “very thoughtful and reasonable.”
Topics K-12
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