Committee approves school bus monitoring bill after parents, students and safety groups testify

The Assembly Education Committee favorably released A3887, authorizing school districts and municipalities to use school bus monitoring systems and establishing enforcement procedures for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.

Assemblyman (sponsor) explained the bill responds to widespread violations captured in local pilots. He cited a Woodbridge Township pilot that recorded thousands of illegal passes on a small fleet, and said the legislation is permissive, not mandatory, for districts.

Multiple witnesses supported the bill. Student witness Burhan Kurum described near-miss incidents while boarding and exiting buses and said the cameras would provide enforcement where police cannot follow every bus. Sangeetha Badlani of Families for Safe Streets recounted a case where a child was struck while boarding a bus and urged swift adoption; she cited national and local data showing millions of illegal passes yearly and that enforcement markedly reduces repeat offenses.

Stakeholder groups including AAA and Tri-State Transportation Campaign urged implementation guardrails such as a public education period, vendor-payment structures not tied to violation counts, law-enforcement review of footage, transparent annual reporting and reinvestment of revenue into safety. Supporters said privacy and due-process measures in the bill can be refined while preserving deterrence.

The committee recorded unanimous yes votes from Assemblymembers Fantasia, Simonson, Brennan, Venezia, Swain, Begoli and Chairwoman Reynolds Jackson and favorably released the bill.