HB221: AN ACT relating to school bus safety.

Legislative Summary

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 67 to define "owner," "code enforcement board," "county," "camera monitoring system," "recorded images," and "stop arm camera violation"; permit the legislative body of a county to enact an ordinance to authorize the use of camera monitoring systems by a local school district and permit the enforcement of a civil penalty for a stop arm camera violation recorded by a camera monitoring system; permit the legislative body of a county to enter into an interlocal agreement to implement and enforce such ordinances; provide that a legislative body shall set the amount of the civil penalty; provide that the revenue generated from a civil penalty shall be retained by the county; require specific notice for a stop arm camera violation; require the legislative body of a county to designate a form for a stop arm camera violation; establish defenses to a stop arm camera violation; define the procedures for a contest to a stop arm camera violation; require a recipient of a stop arm camera violation to pay or contest the violation within 60 days; allow for suspension of registration for failure to pay a fine; require a county to notify the Transportation Cabinet of the need to release a suspension within one business day of payment; amend KRS 189.990 to increase the maximum fine from $200 to $300 for the first offense of failing to stop for a school bus or church bus that is receiving or discharging passengers; amend KRS 189.370 to require traffic in the opposite direction of a school bus to stop for a school bus on highways that are not divided by a raised barrier or unpaved median.