School bus stop-arm camera law pushed by Wilsonville student heads to governor’s desk for signature

In 2021, Wilsonville high schooler Sean Sype thought something needed to be done to stop cars from illegally passing school buses while students were loading and unloading. He sent a message to his state representative, Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, and her staff ran with it.

On Tuesday, March 5, House Bill 4147 passed the Oregon state Senate with a 49-5 vote. Having already passed in the House, the bill now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk for signature.

The bill gives school districts the ability to purchase speed radar cameras, the same ones already used by law enforcement, and place them on the stop sign arms of school buses. According to written testimony in support of the bill, both Idaho and Washington allow the use of school bus stop-arm cameras.

“Too many drivers are disregarding their duty to stop and protect kids getting on and off the school bus. It’s clear that we need more accountability to protect our students,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, in a press release.

Before the passage of HB 4147, it was illegal for school districts to place stop-arm cameras on their school buses. The bill simply removes the prohibition and streamlines the process for education providers to partner with law enforcement agencies to process citations.

School districts are required to adequately warn drivers that a stop-arm camera is being used by the school bus.

In Oregon, passing a school bus with the stop-arm extended is a Class A traffic violation and carries a minimum citation of $220 and a maximum of $2,000.

“This is a deterrence measure that will stop drivers from putting our kids in danger,” said Senator Lew Frederick, D-Portland, in a press release. “This is another important step to make sure every student makes it to school and gets home safely.”