New law allows video monitoring for school bus safety enforcement

Gov. Maura Healey has signed a bill, passed by the Legislature on Dec. 31, that gives communities the option to use video monitoring systems for school bus traffic violations.

The law, signed on Jan. 10, allows cities and towns to use cameras on school buses to record motor vehicles that fail to stop for a school bus.

The law is intended to improve compliance with school bus safety laws and better protect students who ride buses. Such legislation was a priority for the MMA and was included in the MMA’s Legislative Package for 2025-26.

School bus “stop-arm” video enforcement has gained support after recent studies showed evidence of numerous violations. In May 2024, Peabody Public Schools released data documenting 3,412 incidents of vehicles failing to stop for school buses between September 2023 and May 2024 — or roughly 2.3 illegal passes per day.

The law defines a school bus violation detection monitoring system as a camera system that detects a motor vehicle overtaking or passing a school bus when the bus is stopped and displaying front and rear alternating flashing red signal lamps while picking up or dropping off students.

Buses equipped with such devices will be required to display signage indicating their use.

The system would record video and produce still images of the rear of a motor vehicle, with the license plate — with violations determined by at least one recording of the vehicle immediately before the violation and while illegally passing the stopped school bus.

Recordings and photographs would be reviewed by local law enforcement officers or their approved technicians to determine whether a violation occurred. If it is determined that a violation occurred, the officer would issue a citation to the vehicle’s registered owner.

Any penalty for a violation would not be considered a criminal conviction and would not be considered a moving violation, but it would be noted on the registered owner’s or operator’s driving record.

Recordings that do not identify violations must be destroyed after 30 days. All recordings that identify a violation must be destroyed within one year of final disposition of proceedings related to enforcement of the violation.

The governor also signed a bill to allow automated enforcement of bus lane violations for MBTA and regional transit authority buses using designated bus lanes.

The pair of laws reflect heightened awareness of various traffic safety considerations and an increase in state and federal initiatives to reduce fatalities and injuries on roadways.