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New Stop-Arm Camera Laws
Governor Whitmer recently signed into law Public Act 161 of 2024 (PA 161), Public Act 162 of 2024 (PA 162), and Public Act 163 of 2024 (PA 163). These new laws outline requirements for stop-arm cameras, establish camera-based violations, and allocate the accompanying funds from the civil fines to the school. These acts are set to take effect 91 days after the 2024 Legislature adjourns sine die; we expect the effective date to be in late March 2025.
PA 161 revises the Michigan Vehicle Code to permit photographs or video captured by school bus stop-arm cameras to be used as evidence of a driver failing to stop less than twenty feet from a school bus. PA 161 sets mandatory civil fines for camera-based violations at not less than $100 and not more than $500. The county treasurer must distribute the fines from camera-based violations at least monthly to the school that operates the school bus. Schools must use that money for school transportation safety-related purposes.
PA 162 adds the language allocating funds generated by camera-based violations to school districts in the Revised Judicature Act, which governs the appropriation of civil fines.
PA 163 amends the Pupil Transportation Act to establish what qualifies as a stop-arm camera for the purpose of enforcing camera-based violations. A “stop-arm camera system” consists of two or more cameras affixed to a school bus and must be able to capture images of a vehicle, a vehicle’s rear registration plate, and a distance of not less than 200 feet in front of a school bus.
School officials should be aware of these new laws because they establish requirements for school bus stop-arm cameras and allocate funds for transportation safety-related purposes.