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An Act To Require Public School Buses To Be Equipped with School Bus Crossing Arms
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §2301, sub-§5-C  is enacted to read:
 
5-C.  School bus crossing arm.     "School bus crossing arm" means a device mounted on the front bumper of a school bus that when activated extends outward 8 to 10 feet in front of the school bus to require students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the school bus to cross the roadway.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2302,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 293, §2, is further amended to read:
§ 2302.School bus markings; lights; mirrors; school bus crossing arms
 
1. Identifications.   Each school bus:
 
A. Must be identified with the words, "school bus":
 
(1) Printed in letters not less than 8 inches high; and
 
(2) Located between the warning signal lamps as high as possible without impairing front and rear visibility of the lettering;
 
B. Must have no other lettering on the front or rear, except lettering not more than 4 inches high indicating an emergency exit and a bus number;
 
C. Must be painted national school bus glossy yellow, except that the hood may be lusterless black;
 
D. Must have bumpers of glossy black unless painting is impracticable through use of rubber, reflective material or other devices;
 
E. Must be equipped with a system of signal lights that conform to school bus requirements approved by the Commissioner of Education;
 
F. Must be equipped with a system of mirrors that give the seated operator a view of the way to each side of the bus, and of the area immediately in front of the front bumper;
 
G. May be equipped with a system of stop arms to be operated only with the red signal lights; and
 
H. May be equipped with reflective strips of national school bus yellow.
 
1-A.  School bus crossing arms.     A school bus must be equipped with a school bus crossing arm.
 
3. Other purposes.   A school bus permanently converted wholly to other purposes must be painted a color other than national school bus glossy yellow and have the words "school bus," school bus signal lights and stop arms removed.
 
4. Other passengers.   A school bus operated on a public way and transporting passengers who do not include school-age persons must have the words "school bus" removed or concealed and the school bus signal lamps may not be operable.
 
5. Application.   A vehicle operated on a public way displaying the words "school bus" or with the equipment required by this section may only be used to transport school-age persons, as defined in section 2301.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires school buses to be equipped with a school bus crossing arm, which is a device requiring students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the school bus to cross the roadway.