An Act To Require School Buses To Be Equipped With And To Use School Bus Crossing Arms

This bill mandates that all school buses in Maine, including older models, must be equipped with a crossing arm and requires operators to activate it whenever the bus is stopped to pick up or drop off students. The law establishes a Class E crime for failing to use the crossing arm when required and imposes a minimum two-year revocation of the operator's school bus endorsement as a penalty. By making these safety measures mandatory, the legislation aims to improve child safety during student transportation without changing other aspects of school bus operations.