SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2052        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2334

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Adam G. Hinds

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act enhancing school bus safety.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2052        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2334

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2098 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act enhancing school bus safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. This act shall be known as “Summer’s Law”.

SECTION 2. Section 7B of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end of the first paragraph, after the word “year”, in line 137, the following:-

“; (19) Each school bus shall be equipped with at least two sensors on or near school bus doors, which shall determine and notify the operator of a school bus that there are no persons located within a minimum area of twelve feet from school bus doors before and after the doors close when a school bus has stopped to pick up or drop off school pupils. Each school bus shall also be equipped on all sides of the bus with front, rear and lateral sensors to determine and notify the operator that there are no persons located within a minimum area of twelve feet from all sides of the bus. The school bus operator shall not proceed any further after stopping to load or discharge school pupils until the operator is notified by the sensors that there are no persons located at not less than twelve feet from all sides, including doors, of the bus. All sensor systems shall include, but not be limited to, radar, video, sound or infrared technology that shall be capable of detecting the presence of persons within a minimum area of twelve feet from a sensor’s placement on a bus, extending from all sides of a bus and the bus doors. Sensor systems shall also include an audible and visual alert signal placed within the interior of the bus, within immediate presence of the operator, to alert the operator when a person is detected within a sensor’s designated minimum area of twelve feet.

SECTION 3. Section 8A of said chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended in the second paragraph, line 46, by inserting after the word “registrar” the following:-

“The pre-service school bus driver training program shall include a special unit pertaining to the pick up and drop off of school pupils and school bus danger zones, which shall consist of a minimum of 3 hours of behind-the-wheel training and a minimum of 3 hours of classroom training.”

SECTION 4. Said second paragraph of said section 8A is hereby further amended, in line 55, by inserting after the word “energy” the following:-

“The in-service school bus driver training program shall consist of not less than 10 hours of training annually, provided further that the program include a special unit pertaining to the pick up and drop off of school pupils and school bus danger zones. The special unit of training shall consist of a minimum of 2 hours of behind-the wheel training and a minimum of 2 hours of classroom training.”

SECTION 5. The commissioner of education in collaboration with the registrar shall promulgate necessary rules, regulations, or procedures for administration of this act.