Virginia Assembly: school bus DUI a misdemeanor

RICHMOND, Va. — As of Tuesday, both the state's House and Senate had approved a bill making the consumption of any amount of alcohol before driving a school bus a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

The bill (HB 1353), sponsored by Del. Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge), was drafted in response to a recent incident in which a school bus driver was stopped for erratic driving and charged with driving under the influence and felony child endangerment, according to a report at HamptonRoads.com.

Lawmakers on the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee said they were surprised it wasn't already a crime, the article revealed.

The bill now awaits Gov. Bob McDonnell's signature.