Missouri State Rep. Sonya Anderson wants to ensure that school bus stops are not located within 500 feet of the residence of a registered sexual offender.
Anderson introduced HB 2606 earlier this week to address a problem brought to her attention by a constituent, who discovered his children were waiting at a school bus stop located in front of a sex offender’s home.
“I was surprised to find out that we have no laws to address this issue, and that schools across the state have no consistent policies in place,” Anderson said. “It’s time to ensure our young people are not placed in danger while waiting for the school bus each day.”
The bill, which would amend Chapter 566 of the Missouri Revised Statute, cites “safety reasons” as exempting public and private schools from being required to move the bus stop, but in such a case the school must notify parents of its proximity to a sexual offender’s residence.
