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Sponsor asks committee to reduce $1,000 stop-arm fine; members propose $500 alternative
Summary
Representative Parsons introduced House Bill 344 to change penalties for drivers who pass stopped school buses. He proposed a tiered civil fine schedule; several members urged a $500 flat civil penalty and to restore prior misdemeanor treatment for criminal enforcement. The committee agreed the sponsor will work with members on amendments.
Representative Parsons introduced House Bill 344 to the committee on a proposal to reduce penalties for drivers who pass a school bus with its stop arm extended, saying the current $1,000 fine adopted last year is too high. "A thousand dollars is way too high," Parsons said, adding he supports lowering the initial penalty and offered a tiered approach in the draft.
The bill as introduced would set civil fines at $300 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third. Parsons said the bill applies only to civil penalties and is intended to address constituent complaints about the size of the fine, particularly from people who drive for work. "I feel very strongly about the safety of the children getting on off the bus," Parsons said, while also noting his concern that the $1,000 penalty can be financially devastating for some households.
Committee members questioned both the deterrent effect and the fairness of the amount. One member proposed a single $500 civil fine for first-time offenders; Parsons said he would not oppose that amendment. Another member asked whether the bill should restore misdemeanor criminal treatment where it had previously existed; Parsons said he would be open to returning the criminal classification to a misdemeanor rather than a "high and aggravated" misdemeanor if the committee desired.
Members also discussed practical consequences beyond the dollar amounts: whether subsequent offenses are reported to insurance companies and how civil enforcement procedures differ from criminal enforcement. Parsons noted a change last year that subsequent offenses can be reported to insurers and acknowledged the committee could refine statutory language to match enforcement practice.
There was no final vote on House Bill 344. The sponsor agreed to work with several members to draft amendments and the committee scheduled a follow-up meeting (a subcommittee meeting Friday, per the sponsor) to consider those changes.
