Senate
File
222
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
222
BY
MATHIS
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
penalties
for
drivers
of
motor
vehicles
who
1
pass,
or
fail
to
reduce
speed
or
stop
for,
school
buses,
and
2
including
effective
date
provisions.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
321.372,
subsection
5,
paragraph
b,
1
subparagraph
(1),
Code
2019,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
(1)
For
a
first
offense
under
subsection
3
,
the
person
3
is
guilty
of
a
simple
misdemeanor
punishable
by
a
fine
of
at
4
least
two
hundred
fifty
dollars
but
not
more
than
six
hundred
5
seventy-five
dollars
or
by
imprisonment
for
not
more
than
6
thirty
days,
or
by
both
.
The
department
shall
require
the
7
person
to
attend
and
successfully
complete,
at
the
person’s
8
own
expense,
a
driver
improvement
program
approved
by
the
9
department
in
lieu
of
driver’s
license
suspension
for
the
10
offense
pursuant
to
section
321.210.
11
Sec.
2.
DRIVER
IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM
FOR
A
FIRST
SCHOOL
12
BUS
SAFETY
OFFENSE.
Notwithstanding
2012
Iowa
Acts,
chapter
13
1015,
section
5,
subsection
2,
by
July
1,
2019,
the
department
14
of
transportation
shall
initiate
rulemaking
to
amend
761
IAC
15
615.43
to
require
a
person
who
is
convicted
of
a
first
offense
16
of
section
321.372,
subsection
3,
to
attend
and
successfully
17
complete,
at
the
person’s
own
expense,
a
driver
improvement
18
program
approved
by
the
department
in
lieu
of
driver’s
license
19
suspension,
subject
to
all
other
provisions
of
761
IAC
615.43.
20
Sec.
3.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
The
following,
being
deemed
of
21
immediate
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment:
22
The
section
of
this
Act
requiring
the
department
of
23
transportation
to
initiate
rulemaking.
24
EXPLANATION
25
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
26
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
27
Under
current
law,
the
driver
of
a
vehicle,
when
meeting
a
28
school
bus
with
flashing
amber
warning
lamps,
is
required
to
29
reduce
the
vehicle’s
speed
to
not
more
than
20
miles
per
hour,
30
and
to
bring
the
vehicle
to
a
complete
stop
when
the
school
31
bus
stops
and
the
stop
signal
arm
is
extended.
The
vehicle
32
must
remain
stopped
until
the
stop
signal
arm
is
retracted,
33
after
which
time
the
driver
may
proceed
with
due
caution.
The
34
driver
of
a
vehicle
overtaking
a
school
bus
is
prohibited
from
35
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passing
a
school
bus
when
red
or
amber
warning
signal
lights
1
are
flashing.
The
driver
is
required
to
bring
the
vehicle
to
a
2
complete
stop
no
closer
than
15
feet
from
the
school
bus
when
3
it
is
stopped
and
the
stop
arm
is
extended,
and
the
vehicle
is
4
required
to
remain
stopped
until
the
stop
arm
is
retracted
and
5
the
school
bus
resumes
motion.
6
A
first
offense
of
these
provisions
is
a
simple
misdemeanor
7
punishable
by
a
fine
of
at
least
$250
but
not
more
than
$675
or
8
by
imprisonment
for
not
more
than
30
days,
or
both.
A
second
9
or
subsequent
offense
is
a
serious
misdemeanor
punishable
by
10
confinement
for
no
more
than
one
year
and
a
fine
of
at
least
11
$315
but
not
more
than
$1,875.
Under
Code
section
321.482A,
a
12
violation
causing
serious
injury
is
punishable
by
an
additional
13
fine
of
$500
or
suspension
of
the
violator’s
driver’s
license
14
for
not
more
than
90
days,
or
both,
and
a
violation
causing
15
death
is
punishable
by
an
additional
fine
of
$1,000
or
16
suspension
of
the
violator’s
driver’s
license
for
not
more
than
17
180
days,
or
both.
18
In
2012,
the
general
assembly
required
the
department
of
19
transportation
(DOT)
to,
by
administrative
rule,
classify
an
20
offense
under
these
provisions
as
a
serious
violation.
Serious
21
violations
are
subject
to
driver’s
license
suspension
under
22
Code
section
321.210.
23
This
bill
strikes
the
term
of
imprisonment
for
a
first
24
offense.
The
bill
specifies
that
the
DOT
must
require
the
25
person
to
attend
and
successfully
complete,
at
the
person’s
own
26
expense,
a
driver
improvement
program
approved
by
the
DOT
in
27
lieu
of
driver’s
license
suspension
under
Code
section
321.210.
28
The
bill
provides
that
the
DOT
must
initiate
rulemaking
to
29
require
persons
convicted
of
a
first
school
bus
safety
offense
30
to
participate
in
a
driver
improvement
program
in
lieu
of
31
driver’s
license
suspension.
This
provision
of
the
bill
takes
32
effect
upon
enactment.
33
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