HB-5969, As Passed House, June 23, 2004

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 5969

                                                                             A bill to amend 1990 PA 187, entitled                                             

"The pupil transportation act,"                                             

by amending sections 15, 17, 19, and 55 (MCL 257.1815, 257.1817,            

257.1819, and 257.1855), sections 17, 19, and 55 as amended by              

2000 PA 49.                                                                 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 15.   (1) A school bus shall be equipped with front                    

2   turn signal lights as provided by the manufacturer and approved             

3   by the department of state police.  These signals shall be                  

4   independent units equipped with a 4-way hazard warning switch to            

5   cause simultaneous flashing of turn signal lamps when needed as a           

6   vehicular traffic hazard warning.  (2)  The location, number, and           

7   color of all exterior lamps and signals on a school bus shall be            

8   in conformance with current United States department of                     

9   transportation, federal motor  carrier vehicle safety                      

1   regulations  , and with this act where applicable found in 49              

2   CFR part 571 and in section 698 of the Michigan vehicle code,               

3   1949 PA 300, MCL 257.698.                                                   

4   (3) Tail lamps and signals on a school bus shall be                         

5   positioned as follows:                                                      

6       (a) Two red 7-inch diameter combination stoptail lamps shall                

7   be mounted on the rear of the school bus at a height of not less            

8   than 15 inches or more than 72 inches above the surface upon                

9   which the unloaded bus rests, and shall be positioned as far                

10  apart as practicable.                                                       

11      (b) Turn signals at the rear of a school bus shall be 7                     

12  inches in diameter with amber lens and shall be mounted on the              

13  same level and outboard of the stoptail lamp combination unit.

14      Sec. 17.  (1) This section applies to school buses                          

15  manufactured before October 1, 1990 that have not been                      

16  retrofitted to meet the requirements of section 19.                         

17      (2) A school bus shall be equipped with signal lights mounted               

18  as high and widely spaced laterally as practicable that are                 

19  capable of displaying to the front 2 overhead alternately                   

20  flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear 2             

21  overhead alternately flashing red lights located at the same                

22  level.  These  sealed beam  lights shall have sufficient                    

23  intensity to be visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet           

24  in normal sunlight.                                                         

25      (3) Overhead alternately flashing stoplights shall be                       

26  operated by a manually operated switch and detached from any                

27  other instrument on the bus.  A flashing light shall not be                 

1   connected to the brakes or the service door on school buses                 

2   manufactured before October 1, 1990.  A 3-inch black area shall             

3   be provided around  sealed beam  flasher lamps front and rear.              

4   Lamps indicating alternating flashing light operation shall be              

5   visible to the driver when in a normal seated position.                     

6   (4) Signal lights and stoplights under this section shall be                

7   in conformance with current United States department of                     

8   transportation federal motor vehicle safety regulations found in            

9   49 CFR part 571.

10      Sec. 19.  (1) This section applies to new school buses                      

11  manufactured on or after October 1, 1990 and to school buses                

12  manufactured before October 1, 1990 that are retrofitted to meet            

13  the requirements of this section.                                           

14      (2) A school bus shall be equipped with signal lights mounted               

15  as high and widely spaced laterally as practicable that are                 

16  capable of displaying to the front 2 overhead alternately                   

17  flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear 2             

18  overhead alternately flashing red lights located at the same                

19  level.                                                                      

20      (3) In addition to the 4 red lights described in subsection                 

21  (2), 4 amber lights shall be installed near each red signal                 

22  light, at the same level, but closer to the vertical center line            

23  of the bus.  The system of red and amber signal lights shall be             

24  wired so that the amber lights are energized manually, and the              

25  red lights are automatically energized, with the amber lights               

26  being automatically de-energized, when the bus service door is              

27  opened.                                                                     

1       (4) The area around the lens of each overhead alternately                   

2   flashing signal light and extending outward approximately 3                 

3   inches shall be painted black.  In installations where there is             

4   no flat vertical portion of body immediately surrounding the                

5   entire lens of a light, a circular or square band of black                  

6   approximately 3 inches wide, immediately below and to both sides            

7   of a lens, shall be painted on the body or roof area against                

8   which the signal light is seen from a distance of 500 feet along            

9   the axis of the vehicle.  Visors or hoods with an appropriate               

10  black background to fit their shape and roofcap may also be                 

11  used.  These amber and red  sealed beam  lights shall have                  

12  sufficient intensity to be visible from a distance of not less              

13  than 500 feet in normal sunlight.  Lights indicating alternately            

14  flashing light operation shall be visible to the driver when in a           

15  normal seated position.                                                     

16      Sec. 55.  (1) A school bus driver shall actuate alternately                 

17  flashing lights only when the school bus is stopped or stopping             

18  on a highway or private road for the purpose of receiving or                

19  discharging pupils in the manner provided in this act.  A school            

20  bus driver shall not actuate the alternately flashing lights when           

21  operating on a public highway or private road and transporting              

22  passengers primarily other than school pupils.                              

23      (2) The driver of a school bus while operating upon the                     

24  public highways or private roadways open to the public shall                

25  receive or discharge pupils from the bus in the following                   

26  manner:                                                                     

27      (a) If pupils are required to cross the roadway, the driver                 

1   of a school bus equipped with only the alternately flashing                 

2   overhead red lights in accordance with section 17 shall activate            

3   the alternately flashing overhead red lights not less than 200              

4   feet before the stop, stop the school bus  as far to the right              

5   side of on the roadway or private road  as possible  to provide            

6   for the safety of the pupils being boarded or discharged, and               

7   continue to activate the alternately flashing overhead red lights           

8   while receiving or discharging pupils.  If the roadway or private           

9   road is 4 lanes or more, the bus shall stop in the extreme                  

10  right-hand lane when boarding or discharging pupils. Before                 

11  resuming motion, the driver shall deactivate these lights and               

12  allow congested traffic to disperse where practicable.  The                 

13  deactivation of these lights is the signal for stopped traffic to           

14  proceed.                                                                    

15      (b) If the pupils are required to cross the roadway, the                    

16  driver of a school bus equipped with red and amber alternately              

17  flashing overhead lights in accordance with section 19 shall                

18  activate the alternately flashing overhead amber lights not less            

19  than 200 feet before the stop, stop the bus  as far to the right            

20  side of on the roadway or private road  as is possible  to                 

21  provide for the safety of the pupils being boarded or discharged,           

22  deactivate the alternately flashing overhead amber lights, and              

23  activate the alternately flashing overhead red lights while                 

24  receiving or discharging pupils.  If the roadway or private road            

25  is 4 or more lanes, the bus shall stop in the extreme right-hand            

26  lane for the purpose of boarding or discharging pupils. Before              

27  resuming motion, the driver shall deactivate these lights and               

1   allow congested traffic to disperse where practicable.  The                 

2   deactivation of these lights is the signal for stopped traffic to           

3   proceed.                                                                    

4   (c) If the pupils are not required to cross the roadway, the                

5   driver of a school bus equipped with only the alternately                   

6   flashing overhead red lights in accordance with section 17 shall            

7   activate the alternately flashing overhead red lights not less              

8   than 200 feet before the stop, stop the bus as far off the                  

9   roadway or private road as practicable to provide for the safety            

10  of the pupils being boarded or discharged, and continue to                  

11  activate the alternately flashing overhead red lights while                 

12  receiving or discharging pupils.  Before resuming motion, the               

13  driver shall deactivate these lights and allow congested traffic            

14  to disperse where practicable.  The deactivation of these lights            

15  is the signal for stopped traffic to proceed.                               

16      (d) If the pupils are not required to cross the roadway, the                

17  driver of a school bus equipped with red and amber alternately              

18  flashing overhead lights in accordance with section 19 shall                

19  activate the alternately flashing overhead amber lights not less            

20  than 200 feet before the stop, stop the bus as far off the                  

21  roadway or private road as practicable to provide for the safety            

22  of the pupils being boarded or discharged, deactivate the                   

23  alternately flashing overhead amber lights, and activate the                

24  alternately flashing overhead red lights while receiving or                 

25  discharging pupils.  Before resuming motion, the driver shall               

26  deactivate these lights and allow congested traffic to disperse             

27  where practicable.  The deactivation of these lights is the                 

1   signal for stopped traffic to proceed.

2   (e)  (c)  If the pupils are not required to cross the roadway               

3   and where the road has adequate width for the school bus to be              

4   pulled to the far right of the roadway or private road allowing             

5   traffic to flow and to provide for the safety of pupils being               

6   boarded or discharged, the driver  may shall activate the hazard           

7   warning lights  not less than 200 feet  before the stop and                 

8   continue to display the lights until the process of receiving or            

9   discharging passengers has been completed if the lawful speed               

10  limit is  35 45 miles per hour or less.  Before resuming motion,           

11  the driver shall deactivate these lights.  The driver of a school           

12  bus shall only use this procedure at stops where the school                 

13  administrator or person or entity under contract with a school to           

14  provide pupil transportation services has approved its use.  If             

15  this hazard warning light option is not used, the driver shall              

16  use the appropriate procedure in subdivision (a),  or  (b), (c),            

17  or (d) as if pupils were required to cross the roadway.                     

18  (f)  (d)  Except as provided in subdivision  (c) (e), if the               

19  pupils are not required to cross the roadway and where the bus              

20  may be pulled off the roadway or private road or where the road             

21  has adequate width for the school bus to be pulled off to the far           

22  right of the roadway or private road leaving the normal traffic             

23  flow unobstructed and to provide for the safety of pupils being             

24  boarded or discharged, the driver  may shall activate the hazard           

25  warning lights  not less than 200 feet  before the stop and                 

26  continue to display the lights until the process of receiving or            

27  discharging passengers has been completed.  Before resuming                 

1   motion, the driver shall deactivate these lights.  The driver of            

2   a school bus shall only use this procedure at stops where the               

3   school administrator or entity under contract with a school to              

4   provide pupil transportation services has approved its use.  If             

5   this hazard warning light option is not used, the driver shall              

6   use the appropriate procedure in subdivision (a),  or  (b), (c),            

7   or (d) as if pupils were required to cross the roadway.                     

8   (g)  (e)  The distance of not less than 200 feet required for               

9   light activation by this subsection shall be measured on the                

10  roadway or private road on which the stop is made for receiving             

11  or discharging pupils.                                                      

12      (3) Pupils crossing the roadway upon being discharged from a                

13  school bus shall cross in front of the stopped school bus.  If a            

14  school district authorizes its school bus drivers to signal                 

15  pupils to cross in front of the stopped school bus, the signal              

16  shall be uniform throughout the school district.                            

17      (4) The driver of a school bus shall not stop the bus for the               

18  purpose of receiving or discharging pupils in the following                 

19  instances:                                                                  

20      (a) Within 200 feet of a public  highway  or private roadway                

21  intersection unless the stop is approved by the school                      

22  administrator or entity under contract with a school to provide             

23  pupil transportation services.                                              

24      (b) Upon a limited access highway or freeway, or upon any                   

25  other highway or roadway that has been divided into 2 roadways by           

26  leaving an intervening space, a physical barrier, or clearly                

27  divided sections so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic if           

1   the pupils are required to cross the  highway or  roadway.                  

2       (c) Upon a  highway or  roadway constructed or marked to                    

3   permit 3 or more separate lanes of vehicular traffic in either              

4   direction if the pupils are required to cross the  highway or

5   roadway.                                                                    

6       (5) The driver of a school bus when using the alternately                   

7   flashing overhead red lights shall not stop the bus on any                  

8   highway or roadway for the purpose of receiving or discharging              

9   pupils under the following conditions:                                      

10      (a) If the lawful speed limit is more than 35 miles per hour                

11  and the stopped bus is not clearly and continuously visible to              

12  approaching vehicles on that highway or roadway for at least 400            

13  feet.  When the distance from the stopped bus to the end of the             

14  highway or roadway is less than 400 feet, clear and continuous              

15  visibility must be available from the bus to the end of the                 

16  highway or roadway.                                                         

17      (b) If the lawful speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less                  

18  and the stopped bus is not clearly and continuously visible to              

19  approaching vehicles on that highway or roadway, for at least 200           

20  feet.  When the distance from the stopped bus to the end of the             

21  highway or roadway is less than 200 feet, clear and continuous              

22  visibility must be available from the bus to the end of the                 

23  highway or roadway.                                                         

24      (c) Within 50 feet of an intersection if the intersection is                

25  controlled by a traffic  stop and go control signal.                       

26      (6) A school may provide instruction on proper school bus                   

27  etiquette which may include, but not be limited to, boarding and            

1   leaving the bus, evacuation of the bus in an emergency, and road            

2   crossing procedures and the correct hand signal in the district,            

3   if any.  If a school uses school bus drivers for this                       

4   instruction, the state board may reimburse the school for this              

5   training.                                                                   

6       (7) For the purpose of this section, "required to cross the                 

7   highway or  roadway" does not include crossing the  highway or

8   roadway with the assistance of a traffic control signal, or with            

9   the assistance of a school crossing guard as defined in                     

10  section 57b of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL                  

11  257.57b, and applies only to the  highway or  roadway on which              

12  the stop is being made.