Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 964
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       31-01241-19                                            2019964__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school buses; amending s. 1006.22,
    3         F.S.; authorizing district school boards to install
    4         and operate, or enter into a contract with a private
    5         vendor to install and operate, automated school bus
    6         safety cameras; defining the term “automated school
    7         bus safety camera”; providing that a photograph or
    8         video recorded by such camera is admissible as
    9         evidence in a criminal or civil proceeding; providing
   10         that such photograph or video is not required for the
   11         prosecution of certain violations of certain offenses;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Present subsection (13) of section 1006.22,
   17  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (14), and a new
   18  subsection (13) is added to that section, to read:
   19         1006.22 Safety and health of students being transported.
   20  Maximum regard for safety and adequate protection of health are
   21  primary requirements that must be observed by district school
   22  boards in routing buses, appointing drivers, and providing and
   23  operating equipment, in accordance with all requirements of law
   24  and rules of the State Board of Education in providing
   25  transportation pursuant to s. 1006.21:
   26         (13) Each district school board may install and operate an
   27  automated school bus safety camera on a school bus or enter into
   28  a contract with a private vendor to install and operate the
   29  automated school bus safety camera. The term “automated school
   30  bus safety camera” means a device that is affixed to a school
   31  bus and is synchronized to automatically record video or one or
   32  more sequenced photographs of a vehicle passing a school bus in
   33  violation of s. 316.172. A photograph or video recorded by an
   34  automated school bus safety camera is admissible as evidence in
   35  a criminal or civil proceeding, subject to the Florida Rules of
   36  Evidence, but is not required for the prosecution of a violation
   37  of an offense punishable as provided in chapter 318.
   38         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.