Alerts

UPDATE April 25, 2019: Approved by Governor.

UPDATE April 17, 2019: HB 1926 was resurrected and passed a second Senate vote 30 to 14. The bill was signed by the leaders of the House and Senate and sent to the Governor for consideration.

UPDATE April 16, 2019: Measure failed: Ayes: 21 Nays: 19; Notice served to reconsider vote on measure

UPDATE March 26, 2019: Referred to Education Committee where the bill received a “do pass.” Then referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

UPDATE March 7, 2019: Engrossed, sent to Senate.

UPDATE March 6, 2019: Passed in House by 92 – 0 vote.

HB 1926 was introduced on February 4, 2019. The House Public Safety Committee voted a “do pass” for the bill by a 10 to 1 tally. If enacted, HB 1926 would allow Oklahoma school districts to operate photo enforcement systems on school buses.

The NMA opposes school bus stop-arm cameras. National evidence shows that school bus transportation is remarkably safe and to the degree that safety incidents affecting school children occur, bus drivers are statistically much more culpable than passing vehicles. Increasing fines is more a money maker — particularly when introducing for-profit camera companies into the process where the devices must issue tickets to earn their keep —  than a deterrent. If Oklahoma legislators want to address school bus safety, their focus should be on the more significant safety problem issue of bus driver training/education.

Two competing school bus stop-arm camera bills have been introduced in the House, HB 1961 and HB 2524.