Pulaski County Special School District: Arkansas Legislature Amends Law On Passing School Buses

Press release from Pulaski County Special School District:

June 14, 2021

Pulaski County, Ark. -- During the 2021 legislative session, the Arkansas legislature amended the law that makes it unlawful to pass a school bus. The revision enacts harsher penalties for passing a school bus when it is stopped with its warning signals initiated. Pulaski County Special School District supports House Bill 1265, which Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law (Act 264) on March 4, 2021. 

“In PCSSD, we always put the safety of our students first as well as our staff,” says director of transportation Charles Blake. “It is imperative that the drivers on the road do the same. If you see a bus stopped, respect the law and protect our children.”

The bill states that a person who violates the [law] upon conviction would be guilty of a misdemeanor and could face fines between $250 to $1,000 or be confined in the county jail up to ninety (90) days, or both fined and imprisoned. The bill also states that vehicles must stop no less than 30 feet from the school bus when the warning signals are initiated for the loading and unloading of passengers.

The full bill can be found on the state’s legislative website.

This press release was produced by Pulaski County Special School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.