Connecticut Senate Bill SB00508

Connecticut 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/12/26
• Refer: 3/12/26
• Report Pass: 3/30/26
• Refer: 4/8/26
• Report Pass: 4/14/26
• Engrossed: 4/29/26
• Report Pass: 4/30/26
• Passed: 5/5/26
• Chaptered: 5/19/26
• Enrolled: 5/26/26

Caption

AN ACT CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION OF AN OPERATOR'S LICENSE FOR REPEATEDLY FAILING TO STOP FOR A SCHOOL BUS.

Summary

SB 508 amends Connecticut’s motor vehicle license-suspension law to add a new penalty for drivers who repeatedly fail to stop for a school bus. Under the bill, a person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of the school-bus stopping requirement will have their operator’s license suspended for 90 days, and they cannot be issued a license until the suspension period ends and all other licensing requirements are met. The bill is framed as a public-safety measure aimed at protecting children and school transportation operations. The bill also reorganizes and clarifies existing mandatory suspension provisions in section 14-111 of the general statutes, which governs when the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles must suspend a license without a hearing after certain traffic and criminal convictions. It preserves and restates suspension periods for a range of offenses, including reckless driving, evading responsibility, operating under the influence-related offenses, and other serious motor vehicle violations, while adding the new repeated school-bus violation consequence to that framework. It also continues special suspension rules for drivers under 18, youthful offenders, and unlicensed persons who repeatedly violate certain motor vehicle laws.

Impact

The bill amends section 14-111 of the Connecticut General Statutes, effective October 1, 2026, by adding repeated failure to stop for a school bus to the list of offenses that trigger mandatory license suspension. Its practical effect is to give the Department of Motor Vehicles a clear, automatic suspension penalty for repeat offenders and to strengthen enforcement against dangerous conduct around school buses. The measure affects licensed drivers, youth permit holders, youthful offenders, and unlicensed persons subject to motor vehicle privilege suspensions.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received overwhelmingly favorable support. It passed the Judiciary Committee unanimously, then cleared the Senate and House with unanimous roll-call votes. That voting pattern suggests broad bipartisan agreement that stronger penalties for repeated school-bus passing violations are appropriate and that the bill is a straightforward child-safety and traffic-enforcement measure.

Contention

No significant opposition or controversy is reflected in the available transcripts or voting history. The main policy judgment embedded in the bill is that repeat violations of the school-bus stopping law warrant automatic license suspension, but the unanimous votes indicate little disagreement over that approach. Any potential concern would likely center on the severity of mandatory suspensions and the administrative enforcement of repeat-offense tracking, though no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.