Peoria Standard

The Illinois Senate GOP announced on Thursday that a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Thomas M. Bennett to increase school bus safety was signed into law. That bill, Senate Bill 2340 was signed into law on July 28, according to the news release.

“It’s important that we make sure that we create the safest environment possible for children who are making their way to and from school," Bennett said. "It can be especially dangerous for children who must cross lanes of traffic to climb aboard."

"This new law is designed to alert motorists of the stopped school bus so that students can safely make their way on and off the bus,” the senator said.

Bennett was appointed to represent the 53rd Senate District after the resignation of Sen. Jason Barickman. Between 2015 and 2023, Bennett was a State Representative in the 106th House District.

In Illinois, it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus with the stop arm signal extended and the flashing lights turned on. The Illinois State Police say, “Motorists may proceed after stopping for a bus if one of the following occurs: the bus resumes motion, the bus driver signals the motorists to proceed, or the flashing lights are turned off and the stop arm signal is no longer extended.” 

They also note that on a one-way roadway when a school bus is stopped to pick up or drop off students, all traffic lanes must stop. On a four-lane roadway with two lanes per direction, the traffic lanes flowing in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Senate Bill 2340 amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and says that “any person convicted of violating provisions related to approaching, overtaking, or passing a school bus or similar provisions of a local ordinance shall be subject to a mandatory fine of $500 for a first violation.” It also requires all school buses to have an extended stop arm that partially obstructs the roadway if the school bus has a route that includes a bus stop that requires a school child to cross a roadway. That arm must extend up to 72 inches and be not less than 3 feet off the ground, as of July 1, 2024. The bill has an immediate effective date and was signed into law on July 28. It was first filed by Sen. Doris Turner on Feb. 10 and moved to the House on March 31. Bennett signed on as a cosponsor on March 23.