Legislature OK’s bill to allow video for school bus safety enforcement

In the final hours of the session on Dec. 31, the Legislature passed a bill giving communities the option to use video monitoring systems for school bus traffic violations.

Cities and towns would be able to use cameras on school buses to record motor vehicles that fail to stop for a school bus.

The bill 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 vehicles failing to stop for school buses between September 2023 and May 2024 — or roughly 2.3 illegal passes per day.

The bill defines a school bus violation detection monitoring system as a camera system that monitors and 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, when the bus is stopped to pick up or drop off students.

Buses equipped with such devices would 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 would be required to be destroyed after 30 days. All recordings that identify a violation would be required to be destroyed within one year of final disposition of proceedings related to enforcement of the violation.

The Legislature also approved a bill that would allow automated enforcement of bus lane violations for MBTA and regional transit authority buses using designated bus lanes.

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

Gov. Maura Healey has 10 days to approve or veto the bills.