House passes School Zone Safety Act, funds signage and sets tiered fines

The Utah House of Representatives on the morning floor voted 69–0 to approve House Bill 32, the School Zone Safety Act, which standardizes school-zone boundaries and warning systems, mandates crossing guards in elementary crossing zones with flashing lights and creates local traffic-safety committees.

Sponsor Representative Mike Wadhams told colleagues the measure is the product of two years of work with cities, counties, law enforcement, school districts and parent-teacher groups. "We're killing children at an alarming rate," Wadhams said when describing recent local crashes and urging adoption. He read constituent letters about injuries, including one describing 10-year-old Isaac Jukes, who was struck in a crosswalk and required surgery for broken legs.

The bill defines a reduced-speed school zone as a designated stretch from a school speed-limit sign while warning lights operate to an end-school-zone sign and requires flashing warning lights at elementary-school crossing zones when a crossing guard is present. It makes specified speeding violations in school crossing zones a class C misdemeanor and sets tiered fines: $50 for 1–9 mph over the 20 mph limit (first offense), $100 for 10–19 mph over (first offense) and $250 for 20+ mph over (first offense), with increased penalties on repeat offenses; courts may substitute community service in whole or part for fines.

HB32 also requires each school district to form an annual traffic-safety committee with five members — representatives from the school, the PTA, the municipality, local law enforcement and traffic-safety engineering — to recommend crossing zones and receive input from parents, teachers and the public. The bill appropriates a one-time $500,000 from the general fund toward statewide installation of standardized signage; local jurisdictions retain some installation costs.

Supporters emphasized technical details and local implementation. Representative Wharton and others praised the broad stakeholder process; Representative Osler urged administrative guidance for crosswalk-guard positioning and timer/lighting coordination so flashing lights only operate when appropriate. Sponsor Wadhams said the bill uses a warrant system to identify where signage is needed and that education — including training for K–6 students through the Utah Safety Council and the Division of Family Health Services — is a required element.

The House transmitted HB32 to the Senate for further consideration.