Those who do not properly stop for school buses on the roadway will be fined twice as much if Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs legislation sponsored by State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). House Bill 1873 passed the Senate on Thursday, May 16.
HB 1873 seeks to crack down on those who ignore the stop arm on school buses by increasing the fine from $150 to $300 for the first offense and $500 to $1,000 for the second or subsequent offense.
“According to the Illinois State Board of Education, on average, 33 school-age children are killed every year nationwide in school-bus related crashes, many of which are caused by a passing vehicle in violation of the school bus warning systems,” said Sen. McConchie. “This offense should not be taken lightly. Those who ignore the stop arm pose a serious public safety threat to the thousands of schoolchildren across the state.”
HB 1873 passed the Senate unanimously with a vote of 53-0 and now heads to the Governor for his consideration.