To amend sections 4503.03, 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4510.036, 4511.75, 4511.751, and 4511.76 and to enact sections 5.501, 3327.18, 3327.19, 4511.752, 4511.753, 4511.754, 4511.755, 4511.756, and 4511.757 of the Revised Code to address school bus safety, to designate this act as the School Bus Safety Act, and to make an appropriation.
HB3, the School Bus Safety Act, is a school-transportation safety bill that creates a new state grant program and public-awareness campaign aimed at reducing violations involving stopped school buses. It designates August as School Bus Safety Awareness Month, creates a School Bus Safety Fund, and directs money from appropriations and fines for school-bus-passing violations into grants for school districts and educational service centers to purchase and install safety equipment on school buses. The bill identifies eligible upgrades broadly, including external cameras, crossing arms, lane-departure warning systems, electronic stability control, illuminated stop arms and signs, collision-avoidance systems, LED lighting, reflective chevrons, and seat-belt-related occupant restraints, as well as other approved technologies.
The bill also strengthens and clarifies Ohio’s stopped-school-bus laws. It increases the visibility of the law by requiring school-bus-safety graphics at deputy registrar and driver-examination locations and summaries distributed with license plates and driver’s licenses. It revises enforcement procedures so that school bus operators can report suspected violations, law enforcement can investigate and issue citations when the driver is identified, and vehicle owners or lessees can receive warnings when the driver cannot be identified. The bill also directs the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Education and Workforce to educate the public and adopt rules on school bus construction, equipment, and pupil-transportation operations, while expressly limiting camera use to evidence collection rather than automated enforcement.
HB3 would amend several sections of the Revised Code, especially sections governing deputy registrars, point assessments for traffic offenses, stopped-school-bus violations, and school bus equipment and operation. It creates new sections 3327.18 and 3327.19 for the grant fund and grant program, and it appropriates $25 million in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027, with annual transfers from the General Revenue Fund to support the program. It also changes penalties for passing a stopped school bus, including fines, license suspensions, mandatory school bus safety courses for repeat offenders, and the routing of collected fines into the new fund.
The overall sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly supportive. The bill advanced through the House Finance Committee with unanimous or near-unanimous votes and then passed the House 90-0, indicating broad bipartisan agreement on the need to improve school bus safety and enforcement. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to suggest organized opposition in the materials supplied.
The main points of contention, based on the bill text itself, are likely to center on enforcement methods, funding, and administrative scope rather than the goal of school bus safety. The bill allows school bus camera images to corroborate violations but bars automated enforcement, which may reflect concern about privacy or overreach. It also creates a sizable recurring appropriation and a new grant program administered by state agencies, which could raise questions about cost, implementation, and how grants will be distributed. Finally, the bill’s expanded penalties and reporting procedures may draw scrutiny from motorists, school transportation operators, and local agencies responsible for enforcement and compliance.
HB3 would amend Ohio law to create a dedicated school bus safety funding stream, establish a grant program for school districts and educational service centers, and revise traffic and school-transportation statutes to increase penalties and enforcement tools for passing stopped school buses. It would also require new public-awareness measures at BMV-related locations, direct state agencies to adopt or update rules on school bus equipment and pupil transportation, and appropriate $25 million annually for the program, with fines from school-bus-passing violations deposited into the new fund.
The available voting record shows very strong support for HB3. The bill moved through the House Finance Committee with unanimous votes and then passed the House 90-0, suggesting broad bipartisan agreement on the importance of school bus safety and the bill’s approach to funding and enforcement. No committee testimony was provided, so the record does not show substantial public or legislative opposition in the materials supplied.
The most likely areas of contention are the bill’s enforcement and funding mechanisms. The bill expands penalties for passing stopped school buses and creates a reporting process that can lead to citations or warnings, which may raise concerns about due process, privacy, and the use of camera evidence even though automated enforcement is prohibited. The recurring $25 million appropriation and new grant administration structure may also prompt questions about cost, oversight, and whether the state or local districts should bear responsibility for safety upgrades. Any debate would likely involve school transportation advocates, law enforcement, BMV administrators, and fiscal policymakers rather than opposition to school bus safety itself.