Committee amends school-zone law to explicitly include public charter schools and private schools

The Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted to report engrossed House Bill 2678, as amended, to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass. Counsel explained the bill amends traffic code to clarify that school zones may include private schools that request designation by the Division of Highways.

During discussion, the Senator from Jefferson asked whether public charter schools are covered. Counsel and committee members agreed that a public charter school is a public school but that the statute should explicitly list the governing board of a public charter school to avoid ambiguity. The committee adopted a conceptual amendment inserted into the strike-and-insert amendment to add "governing board of a public charter school" alongside a county board of education and the governing body of a private school in the clause that allows a formal vote and written request to designate a school zone.

Vice Chair Taylor moved the amended engrossed bill to be reported with a recommendation that it pass. The committee approved the motion by voice vote and the chair declared the motion adopted. Committee counsel said a corresponding title amendment will reflect the inserted language.