School bus safety measures debated at Statehouse

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Every school day, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, about 15,000 yellow school busses transport students to and from school.

While safety has always been top of mind, Ohio lawmakers are looking at how they can enhance some safety laws. This comes after a bus crash killed an eleven-year-old and injured several others in the northwestern local school district near Springfield.

Shortly after the August 2023 crash, DeWine started a school bus safety working group. The group put out 17 recommendations in January.  

House Bill 279 was introduced in September 2023. House Bill 279 has a number of provisions, including:

• The installation and use of school bus camera equipment that can capture an image, images, or video solely for purposes of recording violations of illegally passing a stopped school bus.
• Increasing the penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus.
• Requires DPS, especially through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), to require the display of graphics about school bus safety and the laws related to it at deputy registrar offices and on its websites.
• Creates the School Bus Safety Fund in the state treasury, consisting of money appropriated by the General Assembly and criminal fines collected for violations of passing a stopped school bus.
  • The bill appropriates $25 million in taxpayer dollars for the fund. 

There are two other bills, Senate Bill 329 and House Bill 518, which also focus on school bus safety. The similarity between the three bills is the cameras to capture cars that illegally pass a stopped school bus.

While there is agreement that something needs to get done, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he still thinks some of the legislation, specifically about cameras, needs some ironing out.  

“I don't know enough about the cost of that,” he said. “Is that going to be paid by the state? Ultimately if the state doesn't have the money the school districts have to [pick up the cost]? What happens when the cameras break? Are the cameras’ film footage public record? On and on.”  

Leadership in the Ohio House also wants to see something cross the finish line, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said the conversation will always be important and evolving.  

“Back in the 80s, there was discussion of school bus safety. There's just a lot of things that happen on school buses,” he said. “So, it's just making sure we get that thoroughly done. And I think it is an important issue.”  

Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said she just wants to see something done soon, even if it is not a full school bus safety package yet.  

“We don't want to see tragedies happen again, such as what we've seen in the last couple of years here in Ohio,” she said. “We will be supportive of what moves forward because some progress is better than no progress.”  

“Hopefully we can get something done, but if not, I'm sure it will be a top priority come next year,” Stephens said.  

DeWine wants to see something done but said he does not want to “get into qualifying anything by saying ‘by the end of the year.’”

He said he is eyeing next year’s budget.  

“There are more things that certainly we can do in regard to school bus safety. We're looking at ways that in the budget that we present that to the legislature,” DeWine said. “Because when you have more safety, you have more cost.”  

Lawmakers have their last session of the year on Wednesday, so if they do not get something done next week, it will likely fall into part of budget negotiations.