An Act To Require Public School Buses To Be Equipped with School Bus Crossing Arms
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2301, sub-§5-C is enacted to read:
5-C. School bus crossing arm. "School bus crossing arm" means a device mounted on the front bumper of a school bus that when activated extends outward 8 to 10 feet in front of the school bus to require students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the school bus to cross the roadway.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2302, as amended by PL 2003, c. 293, §2, is further amended to read:
§ 2302. School bus markings; lights; mirrors; school bus crossing arms
1. Identifications. Each school bus:
A. Must be identified with the words, "school bus":
(1) Printed in letters not less than 8 inches high; and
(2) Located between the warning signal lamps as high as possible without impairing front and rear visibility of the lettering;
B. Must have no other lettering on the front or rear, except lettering not more than 4 inches high indicating an emergency exit and a bus number;
C. Must be painted national school bus glossy yellow, except that the hood may be lusterless black;
D. Must have bumpers of glossy black unless painting is impracticable through use of rubber, reflective material or other devices;
E. Must be equipped with a system of signal lights that conform to school bus requirements approved by the Commissioner of Education;
F. Must be equipped with a system of mirrors that give the seated operator a view of the way to each side of the bus, and of the area immediately in front of the front bumper;
G. May be equipped with a system of stop arms to be operated only with the red signal lights; and
H. May be equipped with reflective strips of national school bus yellow.
1-A. School bus crossing arms. A school bus must be equipped with a school bus crossing arm.
3. Other purposes. A school bus permanently converted wholly to other purposes must be painted a color other than national school bus glossy yellow and have the words "school bus," school bus signal lights and stop arms removed.
4. Other passengers. A school bus operated on a public way and transporting passengers who do not include school-age persons must have the words "school bus" removed or concealed and the school bus signal lamps may not be operable.
5. Application. A vehicle operated on a public way displaying the words "school bus" or with the equipment required by this section may only be used to transport school-age persons, as defined in section 2301.
summary
This bill requires school buses to be equipped with a school bus crossing arm, which is a device requiring students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the school bus to cross the roadway.