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NEWS BRIEFS
School bus bill moves out of committee
CHARLESTON -- A bill that strengthens penalties for motorists who fail to stop when a school bus is loading or unloading children is on track for passage in the West Virginia Legislature.
The Senate's Judiciary Committee forwarded the bill to the full chamber Thursday and amended it to include tougher penalties for repeat offenses.
The bill is up for a second reading in the Senate on Friday and, under normal circumstances, will be voted on Saturday. The session ends at midnight Saturday.
The legislation has been championed by Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, who introduced a similar bill last year after being contacted by the grandmother of a Lincoln County child who was killed while getting off a school bus.
Under the bill, those who violate the law are guilty of a misdemeanor, are subject to fines ranging from $150 to $500 or six months in jail and lose their driver's license for 30 days. The current penalty is a fine ranging from $50 to $200 for each offense.
The Judiciary Committee inserted tougher penalties for second and third offenses as well as incidents resulting in injury or death. Another amendment allows county school districts to place video cameras on the school buses to help catch those who violate the law.
The bill also includes stiffer penalties for persons found guilty of selling drugs within 100 feet of a school bus stop or on a school bus.
