Committee debates mandating crossing arms and anti‑pinch sensors for all Maine school buses; $5.9M retrofit funding in governor’s supplemental
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Summary
LD 21 59 would require crossing arms on all school buses, mandate drivers activate them, add anti‑pinch sensors and include a proposed $5.9 million appropriation for retrofits; members debated technology reliability, enforcement mechanisms and whether to await commission findings due April 30.
The committee considered LD 21 59, a sponsor‑filed bill that would require all Maine school buses to be equipped with crossing arms and, in an amendment, anti‑pinch door sensors. The bill also would require drivers to deploy the crossing arm when stopped to load or discharge passengers and would make noncompliance a Class E crime with a two‑year suspension of the school‑bus endorsement for CDL holders.
Staff told the committee the bill would affect all model years, not just 2021 and newer, and that the sponsor included language for retrofits and a funding mechanism. The Governor’s supplemental budget initiative referenced in committee materials would appropriate $5,900,000 from the unallocated surplus of the general fund to the Department of Education to help districts retrofit buses that are not in compliance.
Lieutenant Scott and Department of Education staff addressed technical feasibility. Dr. LaVarsiere, interim director of policy and government affairs for the Department of Education, told the committee that roughly 2,300 school buses in Maine are inspected and "all but 75 of our school buses have an air door" and thus can be retrofitted with crossing arms in most cases. (Dr. LaVarsiere)
Lieutenant Scott cautioned that no technology is perfect: he said crossing arms "work the majority of the time" but that weather, icing and corrosion can cause failures and that anti‑pinch sensors have been reported to fail on a small number of inspections since 2025. He recommended pairing technology with enforcement or statutory penalties to give law enforcement and DOE enforcement mechanisms. (Lieutenant Scott)
Several legislators expressed concern about preempting the Maine School Transportation Safety Commission’s work. The governor issued an executive order requiring the commission to report to the legislature by April 30; committee members debated whether to wait for that report or quickly add statutory 'teeth' (traffic infraction vs. criminal penalty) to ensure compliance. Members asked staff to work with Lt. Scott and DOE on possible driver‑behavior enforcement language for the statutory text and requested a preliminary report from the commission if possible before adjournment.
The committee recorded a motion to table LD 21 59; the transcript captures members verbally saying 'No to table the item' multiple times but does not show a clear final tally before proceeding to the next agenda item. Staff said they would work with Lt. Scott and DOE on drafting enforcement language and return to committee for further consideration.
