Bill
HB 8523
Rhode Island would require school buses to use live digital video SBVDS for stop violations, with fines, notices, and revenue shared among state, municipalities, and vendors.
1) Repeal and replacement of current stopping rules
- Repeals existing Section 31-20-12 (stopping for school bus with flashing red lights and 50-foot rule, plus penalties).
- Replaces with updated requirements (see Sections 31-20-12 and 31-20-13) that formalize enforcement and clarify when drivers must stop or may proceed on divided highways or loading zones.
2) Adjusted penalties for failure to stop for school bus
- Maintains stopping requirement for vehicles meeting/overtaking a school bus with flashing red lights.
- Increases or clarifies penalties: civil fines range from $250 to $500 and/or up to 30 days license suspension for violations committed via the new enforcement system (live digital video evidence).
- Establishes process for enforcement via dated summons and administrative penalties, rather than exclusively through court action.
3) New school bus violation detection system (SBVDS)
- Authorizes school departments to install and operate live digital video school bus violation detection monitoring systems that provide:
- Live and recorded video, license plate capture, time/date/location markers, and witness affidavits.
- Evidence to be used in civil traffic violations and treated as prima facie proof of violation.
- Phased rollout:
- On or after July 1, 2027: new school buses must be equipped with SBVDS.
- On or after July 1, 2032: all school buses must be equipped with SBVDS.
4) Signage and operation requirements
- Buses and vehicles equipped with SBVDS must display warning signage about the system.
- Signage must remain while SBVDS is in operation.
5) Prosecution, notices, and hearings
- Allows summonses based on SBVDS evidence, with timing and notice procedures outlined (including sending notices to the registered vehicle owner).
- Prohibits or limits certain rights to defense but preserves other civil and procedural defenses available in traffic matters.
- Allows hearings to be held in person, online, or by mail; SBVDS-recorded evidence is admissible and may serve as prima facie evidence.
6) Liability, ownership, and non-liability provisions
- Primary liability shifts to the registered owner of the vehicle, with rebuttable presumption that the owner was operating the vehicle at the time.
- Provisions for lessees, renters, and corporate owners to provide the operator’s identity or accept liability, with options to contest or transfer responsibility.
- Non-liability defenses available if the lessee or operator information is provided, with processes to contest liability.
7) Revenue allocation (SBVDS-related fines)
- Revenue from SBVDS penalties allocated as follows:
- 40% to the state general fund
- 40% to the municipality where the violation occurred
- 40% to the vendor supplying/maintaining the SBVDS
- Applies only to new contracts or extensions entered after the act’s effective date.
8) Records, privacy, and reporting
- Sets standards for data security and destruction timelines:
- Non-identifying footage destroyed within 24 hours (or 90 days in some cases).
- Identifying footage destroyed within one year after resolution of the citation, unless a court orders otherwise.
- Requires annual reporting by the school department on violations, payments, outcomes, and revenue.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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