Mississippi Lawmakers Pass School Bus Safety Bills

The Mississippi Senate has unanimously passed a bill designed to improve safety on school buses and on campuses during pick-up and drop-off times.

It says striking a child with a vehicle after passing a school bus would be felony with a $5,000 minimum fine and up to five years in prison.

The House passed a separate bill last Wednesday to increase fines and suspend the license of a driver passing a stopped school bus. It says a driver striking a child while passing a bus can be charged with aggravated assault and sentenced to a maximum 20 years in prison.

Both bills would ban any school bus driver from using a cell phone while the bus is moving.

The bills are Senate Bill 2472 and House Bill 551.