As 2021 dawns, several Florida bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis over the summer go into effect, one being a law that doubles the fine of illegally passing a stopped school bus.
H.B. 37, School Bus Safety Bill, goes into effect on Friday. It brings the fine to $200 for any motorist who fails to stop for a school bus when its stop arm is extended and red lights are flashing. Within a five-year period, each subsequent offense will result in a suspended license for no less than 180 days and no more than a year.
The School Bus Safety Bill also doubles the fine for illegally passing a school bus on the right-hand side, where children are loading and unloading, to $400. If a motorist is convicted of a second offense within a five-year period, they will lose their driver’s license for no less than one year and no more than two.
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