Committee hears bill to let external cameras on school buses to record license plates for citations

Representative Michael Morgan told the House Transportation Committee on March 19 that H304 would allow school buses to carry outward-facing cameras that record license-plate information so law enforcement can cite drivers who pass stopped buses. "They're consistently seeing people run buses when their legs are flashing and that stop arm is out," Representative Michael Morgan said, describing reports from school bus drivers and bus company staff.

The bill was presented as a constituent-driven measure. "A gentleman from the town of Albert, who was a school bus driver," and staff at Mountain Transit raised concerns about motorists passing stopped buses, Morgan said. He told the committee that some buses already have cameras and that the proposal would focus on capturing license-plate images rather than recording vehicle occupants. "It would be to have a camera that could see somehow externally that could take the intent as just a picture of the license plate, not try to identify people," Morgan said.

Representative Leland Morgan, who also spoke during the item, said bus drivers the sponsors contacted have used on-bus cameras. "The bus driver that we spoke with, they do have one on the camera on their bus and they have used it," Leland Morgan said. Sponsors and commenters stressed privacy safeguards—no interior facial imagery—and said the intent is to capture only what is necessary to identify the vehicle for citation.

Committee members pressed on enforcement and costs. Sponsors and members noted that current enforcement typically requires a police officer to observe the violation in person; H304 would create a process to submit camera images to law enforcement for review. One committee member summarized a practical hurdle: "somebody's going to have to say, 'here's the film' and to do that, and so that might be one of the biggest hurdles," referring to the burden on law enforcement. Cost estimates discussed ranged from a few hundred dollars to about $1,000 per unit for basic cameras, and sponsors said higher-end systems with internet connectivity can cost up to about $5,000.

Proponents framed the proposal as a child-safety measure. Representative Michael Morgan described witnessing an unsafe pass and said drivers should be held responsible for vehicles they own: "If your child was driving it, a friend, an uncle, whoever, too bad, so sad. You're responsible for that vehicle." Committee members recommended further testimony from bus companies, law enforcement and privacy experts and flagged legal questions about how automated enforcement would be implemented.

There was no committee vote on H304 during the March 19 hearing. Sponsors asked the committee to take additional testimony and to consult legal and public-safety stakeholders before moving the bill forward.