This Amendment to Senate Bill No.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on enforcement or changes in charging rates for disorderly conduct.

Amendment to Senate Bill No. 48

This amendment changes how threats against school bus drivers and passengers are treated under the law.

What This Bill Does

• Clarifies that any passenger or driver can be protected by the law if they face threats, regardless of their status on the bus.
• Expands when threats can happen to include anytime while someone is on the bus, not just when entering, leaving, or waiting for it.
• States only authorized passengers may not be charged with disorderly conduct if they accidentally interfere with the bus.

Who It Names or Affects

• School bus drivers
• Passengers on school buses

Terms To Know

disorderly conduct

Behaving in a way that disturbs public peace or order, which can be against the law.

intentional interference

Deliberately getting in the way of something, like stopping a school bus from running safely.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if someone who is not allowed on the bus makes threats.
• It's unclear how this will be enforced or if it will change how often people are charged with disorderly conduct.

Official Summary Text

This Amendment to Senate Bill No. 48, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1, makes the following changes:

(1) Clarifies that intentional interference with the operation of a school bus can occur if threats are against the bus driver or any passenger on the bus, regardless of the passenger's status, such as a student, bus attendant, disability aide, school staff, or a contractor. This clarification is made by removing specific examples of passengers that might be covered because a detailed list of possible passengers has the unintended effect of narrowing the application of the provision.

(2) Clarifies that the intentional interference with the operation of a school bus can also occur if the threats are made while the school bus passenger is on the bus, not only when entering, leaving, or waiting for the school bus.

(3) Clarifies that only those passengers, including students, who are authorized to be on the school bus in the ordinary course of business may not be guilty of disorderly conduct for intentionally interfering with the operation of a school bus.

Current Bill Text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. K. Williams

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2

TO

SENATE BILL NO. 48

AMEND Senate Bill No. 48, as amended, by deleting lines 2 through 3 of Senate Amendment No. 1 in their entirety.

FURTHER AMEND Senate Bill No. 48, as amended, on lines 14 through 15 by deleting “

driver, a student, or any passenger entering, leaving, or waiting for the school bus.

” as it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“

driver or a school bus passenger, including when the school bus driver or the school bus passenger is entering, leaving, or waiting for the school bus.

”.

FURTHER AMEND Senate Bill No. 48, as amended, by deleting lines 17 through 18 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“

(c) A passenger, including a student, authorized to be on the school bus in the ordinary course of business may not be guilty of disorderly conduct for a violation of paragraph (a)(3) of this section.

”.

SYNOPSIS

This Amendment to Senate Bill No. 48, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1, makes the following changes:

(1) Clarifies that intentional interference with the operation of a school bus can occur if threats are against the bus driver or any passenger on the bus, regardless of the passenger's status, such as a student, bus attendant, disability aide, school staff, or a contractor. This clarification is made by removing specific examples of passengers that might be covered because a detailed list of possible passengers has the unintended effect of narrowing the application of the provision.

(2) Clarifies that the intentional interference with the operation of a school bus can also occur if the threats are made while the school bus passenger is on the bus, not only when entering, leaving, or waiting for the school bus.

(3) Clarifies that only those passengers, including students, who are authorized to be on the school bus in the ordinary course of business may not be guilty of disorderly conduct for intentionally interfering with the operation of a school bus.