New Florida Law Doubles Stop-Arm Running Penalties

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Saturday a new law that doubles penalties on motorists who illegally pass a school bus with its stop arm extended.

As School Bus Fleet previously reported, HB 37 proposed increasing the minimum fine from $100 to $200 for passing on the left side of the bus and from $200 to $400 for passing on the right side, where students load and unload.

Meanwhile, the new law also doubles the time, in some cases, a violator would have their driver’s license suspended. A second stop-arm running offense within five years can be met under the new law with a license suspension up from a minimum of 90 days to 180 days, and a maximum of one year instead of six months.

The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, according to the Florida House of Representatives website.