CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Gov. Matt Mead on Friday signed into law a bill that will require stop-arm cameras on Wyoming school buses.

Under the new law, as of the 2016-17 school year, all school buses transporting students to and from school and activities will have to be equipped with external cameras to capture evidence of illegal school bus passing. Internal school bus surveillance cameras will remain optional.

The legislation stipulates that up to $5 million will be appropriated from the public school foundation program account to the Department of Education to reimburse school districts for 100% of the costs of equipping school buses with external and internal video surveillance systems.

As previously reported, 11-year-old Makayla Marie Strahle was struck and killed by a vehicle passing her school bus as she was crossing the street in Crowheart, Wyo., in 2011. Last year, students from Strahle’s school district spoke to legislators and submitted proposals aimed at cracking down on stop-arm running.

Wyoming Rep. Patrick Goggles, a supporter of the new stop-arm camera legislation, said last month that students in the Crowheart area “asked me to pass this bill,” according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

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Thomas McMahon

Thomas McMahon

Executive Editor

Thomas had covered the pupil transportation industry with School Bus Fleet since 2002. When he's not writing articles about yellow buses, he enjoys running long distances and making a joyful noise with his guitar.

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