Senate Eyes Action on School Bus Camera Bill

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Chris Lisinski | SHNS

Senate Democrats moved Thursday to crack down on motorists who fail to stop for school buses as part of an end-of-term sprint to tie up loose legislative ends.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee began polling its members just after 11 a.m. on a trio of bills, including one allowing cities and towns to install monitoring technology on school buses that would record vehicles that fail to stop when required. The Senate gaveled in a few minutes later, and the bill could receive a vote before senators adjourn.

The House approved the school bus camera bill (H 4940) in July, and senators are preparing to bring it forward with five days remaining in the 2023-2024 term.

A district's school committee would need to vote in favor of installing school bus cameras under the bill. Images and video could only be obtained for purposes other than enforcement of failing to stop, or defending against such an allegation, by a court order, according to a Senate Ways and Means Committee summary of the bill.

The panel moved to tee up two other bills Thursday: one dealing with licensure for dental hygienists who have practiced for at least five years in another country (H 4842), and another reforming the Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund (H 4772).

Over in the House, where lawmakers are similarly checking off to-do items before the session's end, representatives prepared Thursday to vote on a bill cracking down on motor vehicles stopping or parking in dedicated bus lanes.

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