The House is considering legislation that would extend penalties nationwide to motorists who are convicted of passing stopped school buses and that would threaten to cut federal highway funds to state funds that don’t comply.
Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) introduced “Kadyn’s Act” in memory of 7-year-old Kadyn Halverson, who was struck and killed last May by a motorist who ignored a school bus with its red loading lights flashing and its stop arm extended. Halverson was crossing the street from her babysitter’s house to the bus when the driver of a pickup truck hit the first grader and dragged her body some 200 feet before speeding off.
The man was later arrested with drugs in his system.
As a result, Halverson’s mother Kari and her family as community activity Kim Koenigs lobbied for a law to toughen Iowa’s penalties for illegal passing. The legislature approved the bill earlier this month, and Gov. Terry Branstad signed “Kadyn’s Law” last week.
“The fact that Kadyn’s Law is being introduced at a federal level today is beyond amazing to us,” said Kari Halverson. “As a mother who has lost a child by someone illegally passing by a stopped school bus, I can only hope and pray our leaders at the national level will embrace this act for our children all over the country.”
Koenigs also spoke to NASDPTS members last fall in Cincinnati about the Kadyn’s death and the bill her group was attempting to introduce.
Braley’s bill, which was introduced on Wednesday, would require all states to increase fines for first-time offenders to $250 and the possibility of 30 days in jail. A second offense committed within the next five years would result in a fine from $385 to $1,875 and up to a year in jail. A federal law could also cut state federal highway funds by 10 percent for each year the state fails to adopt the standards.
“When reckless drivers ignore warnings and pass stopped school buses, children’s lives are put in danger,” said Braley in a statement. “Toughening penalties for drivers who violate school bus safety laws will save lives and convince more people to drive responsibly around kids and schools. It’s a common sense change that rises above petty partisan politics.”
