Bill > A04793

This bill amends New York's vehicle and traffic law to enhance safety regulations surrounding school buses and their stopping procedures. It requires school buses with a seating capacity of more than fifteen children to have both flashing yellow and red signal lamps on the front and rear of the vehicle, which will serve as visual warnings to other drivers when the bus is stopping to pick up or drop off passengers. The bill also modifies the penalties and enforcement mechanisms for drivers who fail to stop when a school bus is loading or unloading students. Specifically, within 180 days of the bill's enactment, the commissioner of motor vehicles must establish a method to issue violations directly to the vehicle's operator rather than the vehicle's owner. Additionally, the bill clarifies that the stopping requirements do not apply on divided highways with physical barriers separating different directions of travel. The goal of these changes is to improve student safety during school bus boarding and disembarking by creating clearer and more stringent traffic rules around stopped school buses.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A4793