Vehicles approaching school buses required to stop for flashing red lights.

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Allen, Koznick, Koegel, Jones, Myers, Hollins, Greene, Kotyza-Witthuhn, Repinski, Dotseth, Robbins, Sexton, Schwartz, Scott, Zeleznikar, Johnson, W., Van Binsbergen, Gordon, Pursell, Rehrauer, Curran, Reyer, Duran, Perryman, Lawrence, Gottfried, Murphy, Bakeberg, Altendorf, Rarick
Last action: Final Acti
Official status: See Senate file in House SF3623
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

School Bus Safety Law

The law requires vehicles to stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus when it displays flashing red lights and not move until the lights turn off.

What This Bill Does

Requires vehicles approaching a stopped school bus with flashing red lights to stop at least 20 feet away.
Prohibits vehicles from moving forward until the flashing red lights on the school bus are no longer visible.

Who It Names or Affects

Drivers of all types of vehicles approaching a stopped school bus with flashing lights.

Terms To Know

Flashing red lights: Lights on a school bus that signal drivers to stop and wait until the lights turn off before moving again.
Prewarning amber lights: Yellow lights on a school bus that warn drivers the red flashing lights will soon appear, signaling them to stop.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify penalties for violating this rule.
It is unclear how enforcement of this new requirement will be carried out.

Bill History

Final Acti House
See Senate file in House SF3623
2026-03-23 House
Author added Rarick
2026-03-16 House
Author added Altendorf
2026-03-12 House
Bills identical, SF substituted on General Register
2026-03-09 House
Referred to Chief Clerk for comparison with SF3623
2026-03-05 House
Author added Van Binsbergen
2026-03-02 House
Committee report, to adopt
2026-02-26 House
Authors added Dotseth, Robbins, Sexton, Schwartz, Scott, and Zeleznikar
2026-02-25 House
Authors added Hollins, Greene, Kotyza-Witthuhn, and Repinski
2026-02-23 House
Authors added Jones and Myers
2026-02-19 House
Author added Koegel
2026-02-17 House
Introduction and first reading, referred to Transportation Finance and Policy

Official Summary Text

Vehicles approaching school buses required to stop for flashing red lights.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A bill for an act

relating to transportation; requiring vehicles approaching school buses to stop for

flashing red lights; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.444, subdivision

1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.444, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Children getting on or off school bus.

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(a)
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When a school bus is stopped

on a street or highway, or other location where signs have been erected under section
169.443,

subdivision 2
, paragraph (b), and is displaying
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an extended stop-signal arm and
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flashing

red lights, the driver of a vehicle approaching the bus
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shall
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must
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stop the vehicle at least 20

feet away from the bus. The vehicle driver
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shall
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must
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not allow the vehicle to move until
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the school bus stop-signal arm is retracted and
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the red lights are no longer flashing.

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(b) A vehicle approaching a school bus displaying the prewarning flashing amber lights

is thereby warned that continued movement is being terminated and that the flashing red

lights are about to be exhibited when vehicular traffic must not encroach within 20 feet of

the school bus.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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