RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Pat McCrory has signed into law legislation that enacts stiffer penalties for motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses.

As SBFpreviously reported, the bill stipulates that a motorist who passes a school bus that is stopped for students to board or disembark would be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, and he or she would have to pay a minimum fine of $500.

Under the enrolled version of the bill, if an individual passes a stopped school bus and strikes a person, the motorist would be guilty of a Class I felony and would receive a minimum fine of $1,250. If the person dies as a result of being struck, the motorist would be guilty of a Class H felony and would have to pay a minimum fine of $2,500.

The bill — known as The Hasani N. Wesley Students' School Bus Safety Act — also includes provisions regarding license revocation.

The Division of Motor Vehicles would revoke for a period of one year the driver’s license of any motorist who is convicted of a second misdemeanor within a three-year period. An individual’s license would be revoked for two years if he or she is convicted of a Class I felony. And the license revocation period would be three years if the motorist is convicted of a Class H felony.

A person’s license would be permanently revoked if he or she is convicted of a second felony violation or a third misdemeanor within any period of time.

The law takes effect on Dec. 1 and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.