New York Gov. Hochul Signs Legislation that Aims to Discourage Illegal Passing

November 1, 2021

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that allows a portion of fines issued for illegal passing incidents to go toward a school bus driver safety training program. The program will reportedly study and promote issues relating to school bus safety and will establish a school bus motorists education fund.

Hochul signed S4661/A7330 on Friday. According to a recent press release, the legislation will provide comprehensive safety training for school bus drivers, which will be funded by portions of fines from motorists that pass a school bus illegally.

It also “creates a School Bus Motorist Education Fund, and directs surcharges imposed for passing a stopped school bus be paid into this fund for use in providing grants for the study of the issue, the development of proposals to reduce the number of violations, and to promote school bus safety, as well as to fund the aforementioned public education program,” the release stated.

The School Bus Motorist Education Program will work in conjunction with the governor’s traffic safety committee, the departments of education and transportation, the division of state police and the state comprehensive school bus driver safety training council.

Hochul added that “Keeping our children safe is priority number one for my administration and we are taking steps on every front to ensure we do just that.”

The aim of this legislation is to discourage those motorists from illegally passing stopped school buses thus increasing safety to school children and will also implement a public education program on the dangers of passing a school bus, the release states.

Legislation sponsor Sen. Kevin Parker said, “I applaud Gov. Hochul for putting students first. The safety of our students is a priority from the moment they enter the school bus to commute to school.”

Assemblymember William Magnarelli added, “This legislation will work in conjunction with the new law allowing for photo enforcement of illegal passing to help educate drivers against this dangerous behavior.”