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6/20/2025
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Legislature approves bill to require video monitoring of traffic violations on all new school buses
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STATE HOUSE — The General Assembly today approved legislation introduced by Senate Majority Whip David P. Tikoian and Rep. Thomas E. Noret, both retired police officers, that 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 0568A, 2025-H 5421Aaa) 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 (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, Lincoln, North Providence), 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.
“This bill is necessary for student safety, driver safety and monitor safety,” said Representative Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick), a retired officer with the Coventry Police Department. “I spoke to the school bus operations in one of the communities I represent and they said the time frame for budgeting, allocation and implementation was very thoughtful and reasonable.
The measure now moves to the governor’s office.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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