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5/22/2025
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Senate approves Tikoian bill to require video monitoring of traffic violations on all new school buses
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STATE HOUSE — The Senate today approved legislation introduced by Senate Majority Whip David P. Tikoian (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, Lincoln, North Providence) which would require all new school buses to be equipped with digital video systems that monitor school bus violations, such as vehicles passing the bus when red lights are flashing.
The bill (2025-S 0568) would require the video monitoring systems on all new buses beginning July 1, 2027 and offer a grace period to have the video monitoring systems installed on all used buses by July 1, 2032.
“This is a critical public safety measure to keep the most precious cargo, our children and students, safe,” said Senator Tikoian, a retired Rhode Island State Police, Major and former North Providence Police Chief. “This legislation provides a reasonable timeline for cities and towns to procure a necessary enforcement mechanism that will keep our children safe as they’re riding to and from school, particularly when they are boarding or exiting school buses.”
Currently, state law does not require school bus video monitoring systems, and furthermore, violations for illegally passing a school bus can only be enforced if a police officer is physically present at the time of the offense. This legislation will deploy the use of technology to capture the moving violation on video and provide municipalities with a mechanism to impose the requisite fine, accordingly.
The measure now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 5421) has been introduced by Rep. Thomas E. Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick).
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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