Bill > S277

Introduced Session

This bill requires school buses that transport students with special needs to be equipped with: a video camera on the interior of the school bus to monitor student safety; a global positioning system that provides information about the location and speed of each school bus in real time; and two-way communications equipment. The bill requires a school bus driver to comply with the provisions of law that prohibit a school bus driver from using a cellular or other wireless telephone while operating a school bus. The bill provides that video footage and global positioning system data collected from a school bus video camera and global positioning system are not to be considered government records. Under the bill, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, is to promulgate rules concerning the installation and use of the video cameras, global positioning systems, and two-way communications equipment; the use of data collected from the global positioning systems; and the retention of video footage, including, but not limited to, the minimum and maximum amount of time that the footage may be retained. The bill is designated as "Emma's Law" after Emma, a non-verbal, special needs student who experienced a stressful and upsetting event when her bus driver became lost for several hours while transporting her, and fellow students, to school. The experience was traumatic for Emma, who was unaware of where the school bus was going and was unable to communicate with the school bus driver. It is the sponsor's intent that this legislation will prevent similar traumatic events from occurring in the future.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Tom Kean (R)*,  Loretta Weinberg (D)*,  Dawn Addiego (D), 

Senate Transportation Hearing (19:00 6/5/2020 *S2528 Sweeney/Singer pending intro & referral added for conside) (on 06/05/2020)

Official Document