Enact the School Bus Safety Act

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
S. B. No. 62

2025-2026

Senator Gavarone

A
BILL

To
amend sections 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4511.75, 4511.751, and
4511.76; to amend, for the purpose of adopting a new section number
as indicated in parentheses, section 4511.751 (4511.752); and to
enact new section 4511.751 and sections 5.501
,
3327.18, 3327.19
,
4511.753, 4511.754, 4511.755, 4511.756, and 4511.757 of the Revised
Code
to
authorize a civil penalty system related to drivers who illegally
pass a school bus but cannot be identified, to designate the month of
August as "School Bus Safety Awareness Month," and to
designate this act as the School Bus Safety Act.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
sections 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4511.75, 4511.751, and 4511.76
be amended; section 4511.751 (4511.752) be amended for the purpose of
adopting a new section number as indicated in parentheses; and new
section 4511.751 and sections 5.501
,
3327.18, 3327.19
,
4511.753, 4511.754, 4511.755, 4511.756, and 4511.757 of the Revised
Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
5.501.
The
month of August is designated as "School Bus Safety Awareness
Month" to increase public awareness of the need to properly stop
when a stopped school bus is loading and unloading passengers.

Sec.
3327.18.
(A)
The school bus safety fund is created in the state treasury. The fund
shall consist of the civil penalties collected in accordance with
sections 4511.753 to 4511.757 of the Revised Code.

(B)
The fund shall be administered by the director of education and
workforce. Money in the fund shall be used to make grants to school
districts for purposes of improving the safety features on school
buses in accordance with section 3327.19 of the Revised Code. Money
in the fund also may be used to support the department of education
and workforce and the department of public safety in educating the
public regarding the laws surrounding school bus safety.

(C)
All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund.

Sec.
3327.19.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Eligible applicant" means a board of education of a city
school district, a local school district, an exempted village school
district, a cooperative education school district, or a joint
vocational school district, or a governing board of an educational
service center.

(2)
"School bus safety feature" means any of the following:

(a)
External school bus cameras;

(b)
Crossing arms;

(c)
Lane departure warning systems;

(d)
Electronic stability control;

(e)
Lighted crossover mirrors;

(f)
Colorado rack test-approved bus frames;

(g)
Fully illuminated stop arms located at the front and rear of a school
bus;

(h)
Collision avoidance systems;

(i)
All light-emitting diode lights;

(j)
Ground wash lights;

(k)
Reflective chevron;

(l)
Occupant restraining devices that conform to the school bus seat belt
requirements of 49 C.F.R. 571;

(m)
Additional safety features that become available through advancements
in technology and that are approved by the department of public
safety and the department of education and workforce.

(B)
The department of education and workforce shall administer a school
bus safety grant program. Under the grant program, the department
shall award grants to eligible applicants who apply to the department
for funding to do one of the following:

(1)
Purchase and install school bus safety features on an eligible
applicant's school buses that do not currently have those features
installed;

(2)
Purchase and install school bus safety features to replace old,
broken, or outdated safety features on an eligible applicant's
current school buses;

(3)
Purchase school bus safety features as additional features to be
included on new school buses being purchased by the eligible
applicant.

(C)
The department shall use the school bus safety fund created under
section 3327.18 of the Revised Code to provide grants to eligible
applicants in accordance with this section.

(D)
The director of education and workforce shall establish any
procedures and requirements necessary to administer this section,
including procedures and requirements governing the form of grant
applications and grant award processes and amounts.

(E)
An eligible applicant that receives a grant under this section shall
do both of the following:

(1)
Use the funds only for the purchase and installation of school bus
safety features;

(2)
Spend any grant funds awarded not later than two years after the date
the funds are distributed to the eligible applicant.

Sec.
4503.10.
(A)
The owner of every snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, and
all-purpose vehicle required to be registered under section 4519.02
of the Revised Code shall file an application for registration under
section 4519.03 of the Revised Code. The owner of a motor vehicle,
other than a snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose
vehicle, that is not designed and constructed by the manufacturer for
operation on a street or highway may not register it under this
chapter except upon certification of inspection pursuant to section
4513.02 of the Revised Code by the sheriff, or the chief of police of
the municipal corporation or township, with jurisdiction over the
political subdivision in which the owner of the motor vehicle
resides. Except as provided in sections 4503.103 and 4503.107 of the
Revised Code, every owner of every other motor vehicle not previously
described in this section and every person mentioned as owner in the
last certificate of title of a motor vehicle that is operated or
driven upon the public roads or highways shall cause to be filed each
year, by mail or otherwise, in the office of the registrar of motor
vehicles or a deputy registrar, a written or electronic application
or a preprinted registration renewal notice issued under section
4503.102 of the Revised Code, the form of which shall be prescribed
by the registrar, for registration for the following registration
year, which shall begin on the first day of January of every calendar
year and end on the thirty-first day of December in the same year.
Applications for registration and registration renewal notices shall
be filed at the times established by the registrar pursuant to
section 4503.101 of the Revised Code. A motor vehicle owner also may
elect to apply for or renew a motor vehicle registration by
electronic means using electronic signature in accordance with rules
adopted by the registrar. Except as provided in division (J) of this
section, applications for registration shall be made on blanks
furnished by the registrar for that purpose, containing the following
information:

(1)
A brief description of the motor vehicle to be registered, including
the year, make, model, and vehicle identification number, and, in the
case of commercial cars, the gross weight of the vehicle fully
equipped computed in the manner prescribed in section 4503.08 of the
Revised Code;

(2)
The name and residence address of the owner, and the township and
municipal corporation in which the owner resides;

(3)
The district of registration, which shall be determined as follows:

(a)
In case the motor vehicle to be registered is used for hire or
principally in connection with any established business or branch
business, conducted at a particular place, the district of
registration is the municipal corporation in which that place is
located or, if not located in any municipal corporation, the county
and township in which that place is located.

(b)
In case the vehicle is not so used, the district of registration is
the municipal corporation or county in which the owner resides at the
time of making the application.

(4)
Whether the motor vehicle is a new or used motor vehicle;

(5)
The date of purchase of the motor vehicle;

(6)
Whether the fees required to be paid for the registration or transfer
of the motor vehicle, during the preceding registration year and
during the preceding period of the current registration year, have
been paid. Each application for registration shall be signed by the
owner, either manually or by electronic signature, or pursuant to
obtaining a limited power of attorney authorized by the registrar for
registration, or other document authorizing such signature. If the
owner elects to apply for or renew the motor vehicle registration
with the registrar by electronic means, the owner's manual signature
is not required.

(7)
The owner's social security number, driver's license number, or state
identification number, or, where a motor vehicle to be registered is
used for hire or principally in connection with any established
business, the owner's federal taxpayer identification number. The
bureau of motor vehicles shall retain in its records all social
security numbers provided under this section, but the bureau shall
not place social security numbers on motor vehicle certificates of
registration.

(8)
Whether the applicant wishes to certify willingness to make an
anatomical gift if an applicant has not so certified under section
2108.05 of the Revised Code. The applicant's response shall not be
considered in the decision of whether to approve the application for
registration.

(B)(1)
When an applicant first registers a motor vehicle in the applicant's
name, the applicant shall provide proof of ownership of that motor
vehicle. Proof of ownership may include any of the following:

(a)
The applicant may present for inspection a physical certificate of
title or memorandum certificate showing title to the motor vehicle to
be registered in the name of the applicant.

(b)
The applicant may present for inspection an electronic certificate of
title for the applicant's motor vehicle in a manner prescribed by
rules adopted by the registrar.

(c)
The registrar or deputy registrar may electronically confirm the
applicant's ownership of the motor vehicle.

An
applicant is not required to present a certificate of title to an
electronic motor vehicle dealer acting as a limited authority deputy
registrar in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar.

(2)
When a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program is in effect
under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it,
each application for registration for a vehicle required to be
inspected under that section and those rules shall be accompanied by
an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle issued in accordance
with that section.

(3)
An application for registration shall be refused if any of the
following applies:

(a)
The application is not in proper form.

(b)
The application is prohibited from being accepted by division (D) of
section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of
section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22,
division
(D) of section 4511.756,
division
(B)(1) of section 4521.10, or division (B) of section 5537.041 of the
Revised Code.

(c)
Proof of ownership is required but is not presented or confirmed in
accordance with division (B)(1) of this section.

(d)
All registration and transfer fees for the motor vehicle, for the
preceding year or the preceding period of the current registration
year, have not been paid.

(e)
The owner or lessee does not have an inspection certificate for the
motor vehicle as provided in section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, and
rules adopted under it, if that section is applicable.

(4)
This section does not require the payment of license or registration
taxes on a motor vehicle for any preceding year, or for any preceding
period of a year, if the motor vehicle was not taxable for that
preceding year or period under sections 4503.02, 4503.04, 4503.11,
4503.12, and 4503.16 or Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code.

(5)
When a certificate of registration is issued upon the first
registration of a motor vehicle by or on behalf of the owner, the
official issuing the certificate shall indicate the issuance with a
stamp on the certificate of title or memorandum certificate or, in
the case of an electronic certificate of title or electronic
verification of ownership, an electronic stamp or other notation as
specified in rules adopted by the registrar, and with a stamp on the
inspection certificate for the motor vehicle, if any.

(6)
The official also shall indicate, by a stamp or by other means the
registrar prescribes, on the registration certificate issued upon the
first registration of a motor vehicle by or on behalf of the owner
the odometer reading of the motor vehicle as shown in the odometer
statement included in or attached to the certificate of title. Upon
each subsequent registration of the motor vehicle by or on behalf of
the same owner, the official also shall so indicate the odometer
reading of the motor vehicle as shown on the immediately preceding
certificate of registration.

(7)
The registrar shall include in the permanent registration record of
any vehicle required to be inspected under section 3704.14 of the
Revised Code the inspection certificate number from the inspection
certificate that is presented at the time of registration of the
vehicle as required under this division.

(C)(1)
Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(1) of this section, the
registrar and each deputy registrar shall collect an additional fee
of eleven dollars for each application for registration and
registration renewal received. For vehicles specified in divisions
(A)(1) to (21) of section 4503.042 of the Revised Code, the registrar
and deputy registrar shall collect an additional fee of thirty
dollars for each application for registration and registration
renewal received. No additional fee shall be charged for vehicles
registered under section 4503.65 of the Revised Code. The additional
fee is for the purpose of defraying the department of public safety's
costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the motor
vehicle and traffic laws of Ohio. Each deputy registrar shall
transmit the fees collected under divisions (C)(1) and (3) of this
section in the time and manner provided in this section. The
registrar shall deposit all moneys received under division (C)(1) of
this section into the public safety - highway purposes fund
established in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.

(2)
In addition, a charge of twenty-five cents shall be made for each
reflectorized safety license plate issued, and a single charge of
twenty-five cents shall be made for each county identification
sticker or each set of county identification stickers issued, as the
case may be, to cover the cost of producing the license plates and
stickers, including material, manufacturing, and administrative
costs. Those fees shall be in addition to the license tax. If the
total cost of producing the plates is less than twenty-five cents per
plate, or if the total cost of producing the stickers is less than
twenty-five cents per sticker or per set issued, any excess moneys
accruing from the fees shall be distributed in the same manner as
provided by section 4501.04 of the Revised Code for the distribution
of license tax moneys. If the total cost of producing the plates
exceeds twenty-five cents per plate, or if the total cost of
producing the stickers exceeds twenty-five cents per sticker or per
set issued, the difference shall be paid from the license tax moneys
collected pursuant to section 4503.02 of the Revised Code.

(3)
The registrar and each deputy registrar shall collect the following
additional fee, as applicable, for each application for registration
or registration renewal received for any hybrid motor vehicle,
plug-in hybrid electric motor vehicle, or battery electric motor
vehicle:

(a)
One hundred dollars for a hybrid motor vehicle;

(b)
One hundred fifty dollars for a plug-in hybrid electric motor
vehicle;

(c)
Two hundred dollars for a battery electric motor vehicle.

Each
fee imposed under this division shall be prorated based on the number
of months for which the vehicle is registered. The registrar shall
transmit all money arising from each fee to the treasurer of state
for distribution in accordance with division (E) of section 5735.051
of the Revised Code, subject to division (D) of section 5735.05 of
the Revised Code.

(D)
Each deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee equal to the amount
established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code for each
application for registration and registration renewal notice the
deputy registrar receives, which shall be for the purpose of
compensating the deputy registrar for the deputy registrar's
services, and such office and rental expenses, as may be necessary
for the proper discharge of the deputy registrar's duties in the
receiving of applications and renewal notices and the issuing of
registrations.

(E)
Upon the certification of the registrar, the county sheriff or local
police officials shall recover license plates erroneously or
fraudulently issued.

(F)
Each deputy registrar, upon receipt of any application for
registration or registration renewal notice, together with the
license fee and any local motor vehicle license tax levied pursuant
to Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, shall transmit that fee and
tax, if any, in the manner provided in this section, together with
the original and duplicate copy of the application, to the registrar.
The registrar, subject to the approval of the director of public
safety, may deposit the funds collected by those deputies in a local
bank or depository to the credit of the "state of Ohio, bureau
of motor vehicles." Where a local bank or depository has been
designated by the registrar, each deputy registrar shall deposit all
moneys collected by the deputy registrar into that bank or depository
not more than one business day after their collection and shall make
reports to the registrar of the amounts so deposited, together with
any other information, some of which may be prescribed by the
treasurer of state, as the registrar may require and as prescribed by
the registrar by rule. The registrar, within three days after receipt
of notification of the deposit of funds by a deputy registrar in a
local bank or depository, shall draw on that account in favor of the
treasurer of state. The registrar, subject to the approval of the
director and the treasurer of state, may make reasonable rules
necessary for the prompt transmittal of fees and for safeguarding the
interests of the state and of counties, townships, municipal
corporations, and transportation improvement districts levying local
motor vehicle license taxes. The registrar may pay service charges
usually collected by banks and depositories for such service. If
deputy registrars are located in communities where banking facilities
are not available, they shall transmit the fees forthwith, by money
order or otherwise, as the registrar, by rule approved by the
director and the treasurer of state, may prescribe. The registrar may
pay the usual and customary fees for such service.

(G)
This section does not prevent any person from making an application
for a motor vehicle license directly to the registrar by mail, by
electronic means, or in person at any of the registrar's offices,
upon payment of a service fee equal to the amount established under
section 4503.038 of the Revised Code for each application.

(H)
No person shall make a false statement as to the district of
registration in an application required by division (A) of this
section. Violation of this division is falsification under section
2921.13 of the Revised Code and punishable as specified in that
section.

(I)(1)
Where applicable, the requirements of division (B) of this section
relating to the presentation of an inspection certificate issued
under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it
for a motor vehicle, the refusal of a license for failure to present
an inspection certificate, and the stamping of the inspection
certificate by the official issuing the certificate of registration
apply to the registration of and issuance of license plates for a
motor vehicle under sections 4503.102, 4503.12, 4503.14, 4503.15,
4503.16, 4503.171, 4503.172, 4503.19, 4503.40, 4503.41, 4503.42,
4503.43, 4503.44, 4503.46, 4503.47, and 4503.51 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a)
The registrar shall adopt rules ensuring that each owner registering
a motor vehicle in a county where a motor vehicle inspection and
maintenance program is in effect under section 3704.14 of the Revised
Code and rules adopted under it receives information about the
requirements established in that section and those rules and about
the need in those counties to present an inspection certificate with
an application for registration or preregistration.

(b)
Upon request, the registrar shall provide the director of
environmental protection, or any person that has been awarded a
contract under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, an on-line
computer data link to registration information for all passenger
cars, noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial cars that are
subject to that section. The registrar also shall provide to the
director of environmental protection a magnetic data tape containing
registration information regarding passenger cars, noncommercial
motor vehicles, and commercial cars for which a multi-year
registration is in effect under section 4503.103 of the Revised Code
or rules adopted under it, including, without limitation, the date of
issuance of the multi-year registration, the registration deadline
established under rules adopted under section 4503.101 of the Revised
Code that was applicable in the year in which the multi-year
registration was issued, and the registration deadline for renewal of
the multi-year registration.

(J)
Subject to division (K) of this section, application for registration
under the international registration plan, as set forth in sections
4503.60 to 4503.66 of the Revised Code, shall be made to the
registrar on forms furnished by the registrar. In accordance with
international registration plan guidelines and pursuant to rules
adopted by the registrar, the forms shall include the following:

(1)
A uniform mileage schedule;

(2)
The gross vehicle weight of the vehicle or combined gross vehicle
weight of the combination vehicle as declared by the registrant;

(3)
Any other information the registrar requires by rule.

(K)
The registrar shall determine the feasibility of implementing an
electronic commercial fleet licensing and management program that
will enable the owners of commercial tractors, commercial trailers,
and commercial semitrailers to conduct electronic transactions by
July 1, 2010, or sooner. If the registrar determines that
implementing such a program is feasible, the registrar shall adopt
new rules under this division or amend existing rules adopted under
this division as necessary in order to respond to advances in
technology.

If
international registration plan guidelines and provisions allow
member jurisdictions to permit applications for registrations under
the international registration plan to be made via the internet, the
rules the registrar adopts under this division shall permit such
action.

Sec.
4503.102.
(A)
The registrar of motor vehicles shall adopt rules to establish a
centralized system of motor vehicle registration renewal by mail or
by electronic means. Any person owning a motor vehicle that was
registered in the person's name during the preceding registration
year shall renew the registration of the motor vehicle not more than
ninety days prior to the expiration date of the registration either
by mail or by electronic means through the centralized system of
registration established under this section, or in person at any
office of the registrar or at a deputy registrar's office.

(B)(1)
Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no less than
forty-five days prior to the expiration date of any motor vehicle
registration, the registrar shall mail a renewal notice to the person
in whose name the motor vehicle is registered. The renewal notice
shall clearly state that the registration of the motor vehicle may be
renewed by mail or electronic means through the centralized system of
registration or in person at any office of the registrar or at a
deputy registrar's office and shall be preprinted with information
including, but not limited to, the owner's name and residence address
as shown in the records of the bureau of motor vehicles, a brief
description of the motor vehicle to be registered, notice of the
license taxes and fees due on the motor vehicle, the toll-free
telephone number of the registrar as required under division (D)(1)
of section 4503.031 of the Revised Code, a statement that payment for
a renewal may be made by financial transaction device using the
toll-free telephone number, and any additional information the
registrar may require by rule. The renewal notice shall not include
the social security number of either the owner of the motor vehicle
or the person in whose name the motor vehicle is registered. The
renewal notice shall be sent by regular mail to the owner's last
known address as shown in the records of the bureau of motor
vehicles.

(2)
The registrar is not required to mail a renewal notice if either of
the following applies:

(a)
The owner of the vehicle has consented to receiving the renewal
notice by electronic means only.

(b)
The application for renewal of the registration of a motor vehicle is
prohibited from being accepted by the registrar or a deputy registrar
by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221,
division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22,

division
(D) of section 4511.756,
or
division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code.

(3)
If the owner of a motor vehicle has consented to receiving a renewal
notice by electronic means only, the registrar shall send an
electronic renewal notice to the owner that contains the information
specified in division (B)(1) of this section at the time specified
under that division.

(C)
The owner of the motor vehicle shall verify the information contained
in the notice, sign it either manually or by electronic means, and
return it, either by mail or electronic means, or the owner may take
it in person to any office of the registrar or of a deputy registrar.
The owner shall include with the notice a financial transaction
device number when renewing in person or by electronic means but not
by mail, check, or money order in the amount of the registration
taxes and fees payable on the motor vehicle and a service fee equal
to the amount established under section 4503.038 of the Revised Code,
plus postage as indicated on the notice if the registration is
renewed or fulfilled by mail, and an inspection certificate for the
motor vehicle as provided in section 3704.14 of the Revised Code. For
purposes of the centralized system of motor vehicle registration, the
registrar shall accept payments via the toll-free telephone number
established under division (D)(1) of section 4503.031 of the Revised
Code for renewals made by mail. If the motor vehicle owner chooses to
renew the motor vehicle registration by electronic means, the owner
shall proceed in accordance with the rules the registrar adopts.

(D)
If all registration and transfer fees for the motor vehicle for the
preceding year or the preceding period of the current registration
year have not been paid, if division (D) of section 2935.27, division
(A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division
(B) of section 4510.22,
division
(D) of section 4511.756,
or
division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code prohibits
acceptance of the renewal notice, or if the owner or lessee does not
have an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle as provided in
section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, if that section is applicable,
the license shall be refused, and the registrar or deputy registrar
shall so notify the owner. This section does not require the payment
of license or registration taxes on a motor vehicle for any preceding
year, or for any preceding period of a year, if the motor vehicle was
not taxable for that preceding year or period under section 4503.02,
4503.04, 4503.11, 4503.12, or 4503.16 or Chapter 4504. of the Revised
Code.

(E)(1)
Failure to receive a renewal notice does not relieve a motor vehicle
owner from the responsibility to renew the registration for the motor
vehicle. Any person who has a motor vehicle registered in this state
and who does not receive a renewal notice as provided in division (B)
of this section prior to the expiration date of the registration
shall request an application for registration from the registrar or a
deputy registrar and sign the application manually or by electronic
means and submit the application and pay any applicable license taxes
and fees to the registrar or deputy registrar.

(2)
If the owner of a motor vehicle submits an application for
registration and the registrar is prohibited by division (D) of
section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of
section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22,
division
(D) of section 4511.756,
or
division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code from accepting
the application, the registrar shall return the application and the
payment to the owner. If the owner of a motor vehicle submits a
registration renewal application to the registrar by electronic means
and the registrar is prohibited from accepting the application as
provided in this division, the registrar shall notify the owner of
this fact and deny the application and return the payment or give a
credit on the financial transaction device account of the owner in
the manner the registrar prescribes by rule adopted pursuant to
division (A) of this section.

(F)
Every deputy registrar shall post in a prominent place at the
deputy's office a notice informing the public of the mail
registration system required by this section and also shall post a
notice that every owner of a motor vehicle and every chauffeur
holding a certificate of registration is required to notify the
registrar in writing of any change of residence within ten days after
the change occurs. The notice shall be in such form as the registrar
prescribes by rule.

(G)
The service fee equal to the amount established under section
4503.038 of the Revised Code that is collected from a person who
renews a motor vehicle registration by electronic means or by mail,
plus postage collected by the registrar and any financial transaction
device surcharge collected by the registrar, shall be paid to the
credit of the public safety - highway purposes fund established by
section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1)
Pursuant to section 113.40 of the Revised Code, the registrar shall
implement a program permitting payment of motor vehicle registration
taxes and fees, driver's license and commercial driver's license
fees, and any other taxes, fees, penalties, or charges imposed or
levied by the state by means of a financial transaction device for
transactions occurring online, at any office of the registrar, and at
all deputy registrar locations. The program shall take effect not
later than July 1, 2016. The registrar shall adopt rules as necessary
for this purpose, but all such rules are subject to any action,
policy, or procedure of the board of deposit or treasurer of state
taken or adopted under section 113.40 of the Revised Code.

(2)
The rules adopted under division (H)(1) of this section shall require
a deputy registrar to accept payments by means of a financial
transaction device beginning on the effective date of the rules
unless the deputy registrar contract entered into by the deputy
registrar prohibits the acceptance of such payments by financial
transaction device. However, commencing with deputy registrar
contract awards that have a start date of July 1, 2016, and for all
contract awards thereafter, the registrar shall require that the
proposer accept payment by means of a financial transaction device,
including credit cards and debit cards, for all department of public
safety transactions conducted at that deputy registrar location.

The
bureau and deputy registrars are not required to pay any costs that
result from accepting payment by means of a financial transaction
device. A deputy registrar may charge a person who tenders payment
for a department transaction by means of a financial transaction
device any cost the deputy registrar incurs from accepting payment by
the financial transaction device, but the deputy registrar shall not
require the person to pay any additional fee of any kind in
connection with the use by the person of the financial transaction
device.

(3)
In accordance with division (H)(1) of this section and rules adopted
by the registrar under that division, a county auditor or clerk of a
court of common pleas that is designated a deputy registrar shall
accept payment by means of a financial transaction device, including
credit cards and debit cards, for all department transactions
conducted at the office of the county auditor or clerk in the county
auditor's or clerk's capacity as deputy registrar. The bureau is not
required to pay any costs incurred by a county auditor or clerk that
result from accepting payment by means of a financial transaction
device for any department transaction.

(I)
For persons who reside in counties where tailpipe emissions
inspections are required under the motor vehicle inspection and
maintenance program, the notice required by division (B) of this
section shall also include the toll-free telephone number maintained
by the Ohio environmental protection agency to provide information
concerning the locations of emissions testing centers. The registrar
also shall include a statement in the notice that a battery electric
motor vehicle is not required to undergo emissions inspection under
the motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program established
under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code.

Sec.
4503.12.
(A)
Upon the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle, the registration
of the motor vehicle expires, and the original owner immediately
shall remove the license plates from the motor vehicle, except that:

(1)
If a statutory merger or consolidation results in the transfer of
ownership of a motor vehicle from a constituent corporation to the
surviving corporation, or if the incorporation of a proprietorship or
partnership results in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle
from the proprietorship or partnership to the corporation, the
registration shall be continued upon the filing by the surviving or
new corporation, within thirty days of such transfer, of an
application for an amended certificate of registration. Upon a proper
filing, the registrar of motor vehicles shall issue an amended
certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.

(2)
If the death of the owner of a motor vehicle results in the transfer
of ownership of the motor vehicle to the surviving spouse of the
owner or if a motor vehicle is owned by two persons under joint
ownership with right of survivorship established under section
2131.12 of the Revised Code and one of those persons dies, the
registration shall be continued upon the filing by the survivor of an
application for an amended certificate of registration. In relation
to a motor vehicle that is owned by two persons under joint ownership
with right of survivorship established under section 2131.12 of the
Revised Code, the application shall be accompanied by a copy of the
certificate of title that specifies that the vehicle is owned under
joint ownership with right of survivorship. Upon a proper filing, the
registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the
name of the survivor.

(3)
If the death of the owner of a motor vehicle results in the transfer
of ownership of the motor vehicle to a transfer-on-death beneficiary
or beneficiaries designated under section 2131.13 of the Revised
Code, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the
transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries of an application for
an amended certificate of registration. The application shall be
accompanied by a copy of the certificate of title that specifies that
the owner of the motor vehicle has designated the motor vehicle in
beneficiary form under section 2131.13 of the Revised Code. Upon a
proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of
registration in the name of the transfer-on-death beneficiary or
beneficiaries.

(4)
If the original owner of a motor vehicle that has been transferred
makes application for the registration of another motor vehicle at
any time during the remainder of the registration period for which
the transferred motor vehicle was registered, the owner may file an
application for transfer of the registration and, where applicable,
the license plates. The transfer of the registration and, where
applicable, the license plates from the motor vehicle for which they
originally were issued to a succeeding motor vehicle purchased by the
same person in whose name the original registration and license
plates were issued shall be done within a period not to exceed thirty
days. During that thirty-day period, the license plates from the
motor vehicle for which they originally were issued may be displayed
on the succeeding motor vehicle, and the succeeding motor vehicle may
be operated on the public roads and highways in this state.

At
the time of application for transfer, the registrar shall compute and
collect the amount of tax due on the succeeding motor vehicle, based
upon the amount that would be due on a new registration as of the
date on which the transfer is made less a credit for the unused
portion of the original registration beginning on that date. If the
credit exceeds the amount of tax due on the new registration, no
refund shall be made. In computing the amount of tax due and credits
to be allowed under this division, the provisions of division
(B)(1)(a) and (b) of section 4503.11 of the Revised Code shall apply.
As to passenger cars, noncommercial vehicles, motor homes, and
motorcycles, transfers within or between these classes of motor
vehicles only shall be allowed. If the succeeding motor vehicle is of
a different class than the motor vehicle for which the registration
originally was issued, new license plates also shall be issued upon
the surrender of the license plates originally issued and payment of
the fees provided in divisions (C) and (D) of section 4503.10 of the
Revised Code.

(5)
The owner of a commercial car having a gross vehicle weight or
combined gross vehicle weight of more than ten thousand pounds may
transfer the registration of that commercial car to another
commercial car the owner owns without transferring ownership of the
first commercial car. At any time during the remainder of the
registration period for which the first commercial car was
registered, the owner may file an application for the transfer of the
registration and, where applicable, the license plates, accompanied
by the certificate of registration of the first commercial car. The
amount of any tax due or credit to be allowed for a transfer of
registration under this division shall be computed in accordance with
division (A)(4) of this section.

No
commercial car to which a registration is transferred under this
division shall be operated on a public road or highway in this state
until after the transfer of registration is completed in accordance
with this division.

(6)
Upon application to the registrar or a deputy registrar, a person who
owns or leases a motor vehicle may transfer special license plates
assigned to that vehicle to any other vehicle that the person owns or
leases or that is owned or leased by the person's spouse. As
appropriate, the application also shall be accompanied by a power of
attorney for the registration of a leased vehicle and a written
statement releasing the special plates to the applicant. Upon a
proper filing, the registrar or deputy registrar shall assign the
special license plates to the motor vehicle owned or leased by the
applicant and issue a new certificate of registration for that motor
vehicle.

(7)
If a corporation transfers the ownership of a motor vehicle to an
affiliated corporation, the affiliated corporation may apply to the
registrar for the transfer of the registration and any license
plates. The registrar may require the applicant to submit
documentation of the corporate relationship and shall determine
whether the application for registration transfer is made in good
faith and not for the purposes of circumventing the provisions of
this chapter. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an
amended certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.

(B)
An application under division (A) of this section shall be
accompanied by a service fee equal to the amount established under
section 4503.038 of the Revised Code, a transfer fee of one dollar,
and the original certificate of registration, if applicable.

(C)
Neither the registrar nor a deputy registrar shall transfer a
registration under division (A) of this section if the registration
is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of
section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (D) of
section 4503.234, division (B) of section 4510.22,
division
(D) of section 4511.756,
division
(B)(1) of section 4521.10, or division (B) of section 5537.041 of the
Revised Code.

(D)
Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(E)
As used in division (A)(6) of this section, "special license
plates" means either of the following:

(1)
Any license plates for which the person to whom the license plates
are issued must pay an additional fee in excess of the fees
prescribed in section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, Chapter 4504. of
the Revised Code, and the service fee prescribed in division (D) or
(G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code;

(2)
License plates issued under section 4503.44 of the Revised Code.

Sec.
4511.75.
(A)
(A)(1)

The driver of a vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley upon meeting
or overtaking from either direction any school bus stopped for the
purpose of receiving or discharging any school child, person
attending programs offered by community boards of mental health and
county boards of developmental disabilities, or child attending a
program offered by a head start agency, shall stop at least ten feet
from the front or rear of the school bus and shall not proceed until
such school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by the school bus
driver
or
a law enforcement officer
to
proceed.

(2)

It
is no defense to a charge under
this

division

(A)(1)
of this section
that
the school bus involved failed to display or be equipped with an
automatically extended stop warning sign as required by division (B)
of this section.

(B)
Every school bus shall be equipped with amber and red visual signals
meeting the requirements of section 4511.771 of the Revised Code, and
an automatically extended stop warning sign of a type approved by the
department of education and workforce, which shall be actuated by the
driver of the bus whenever but only whenever the bus is stopped or
stopping on the roadway for the purpose of receiving or discharging
school children, persons attending programs offered by community
boards of mental health and county boards of developmental
disabilities, or children attending programs offered by head start
agencies. A school bus driver shall not actuate the visual signals or
the stop warning sign in designated school bus loading areas where
the bus is entirely off the roadway or at school buildings when
children or persons attending programs offered by community boards of
mental health and county boards of developmental disabilities are
loading or unloading at curbside or at buildings when children
attending programs offered by head start agencies are loading or
unloading at curbside. The visual signals and stop warning sign shall
be synchronized or otherwise operated as required by rule of the
board.

(C)
Where a highway has been divided into four or more traffic lanes, a
driver of a vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley need not stop
for a school bus approaching from the opposite direction which has
stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school child,
persons attending programs offered by community boards of mental
health and county boards of developmental disabilities, or children
attending programs offered by head start agencies. The driver of any
vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley overtaking the school bus
shall comply with division (A) of this section.

(D)
School buses operating on divided highways or on highways with four
or more traffic lanes shall receive and discharge all school
children, persons attending programs offered by community boards of
mental health and county boards of developmental disabilities, and
children attending programs offered by head start agencies on their
residence side of the highway.

(E)
No school bus driver shall start the driver's bus until after any
child, person attending programs offered by community boards of
mental health and county boards of developmental disabilities, or
child attending a program offered by a head start agency who may have
alighted therefrom has reached a place of safety on the child's or
person's residence side of the road.

(F)(1)

Whoever

Except
as provided in division (F)(3) of this section, whoever
violates
division (A) of this section may be fined an amount not to exceed
five hundred dollars. A person who is issued a citation for a
violation of division (A) of this section is not permitted to enter a
written plea of guilty and waive the person's right to contest the
citation in a trial but instead must appear in person in the proper
court to answer the charge.

(2)

In

Except
as provided in division (F)(3) of this section, in
addition
to and independent of any other penalty provided by law, the court or
mayor may impose upon an offender who violates this section a class
seven suspension of the offender's driver's license, commercial
driver's license, temporary instruction permit, probationary license,
or nonresident operating privilege from the range specified in
division (A)(7) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code. When a
license is suspended under this section, the court or mayor shall
cause the offender to deliver the license to the court, and the court
or clerk of the court immediately shall forward the license to the
registrar of motor vehicles, together with notice of the court's
action.

(3)
If the identity of the driver of a vehicle that is the subject of a
violation of division (A) of this section cannot be established
through investigation or otherwise, the registered owner of a vehicle
may be fined a civil penalty of three hundred dollars in accordance
with sections 4511.753 to 4511.757 of the Revised Code when that
owner's vehicle is used to commit a violation of division (A) of this
section.

(G)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Head start agency" has the same meaning as in section
3301.32 of the Revised Code.

(2)
"School bus," as used in relation to children who attend a
program offered by a head start agency, means a bus that is owned and
operated by a head start agency, is equipped with an automatically
extended stop warning sign of a type approved by the department, is
painted the color and displays the markings described in section
4511.77 of the Revised Code, and is equipped with amber and red
visual signals meeting the requirements of section 4511.771 of the
Revised Code, irrespective of whether or not the bus has fifteen or
more children aboard at any time. "School bus" does not
include a van owned and operated by a head start agency, irrespective
of its color, lights, or markings.

Sec.
4511.751.
As
used in sections 4511.751 to 4511.757 and section 4511.76 of the
Revised Code:

(A)
"Designated party" means the person whom a registered owner
of a vehicle identifies as the person who was operating the owner's
vehicle at the time of a school bus violation.

(B)
"Entity responsible for operation of the school bus" means
the applicable board of education of a city, local or exempted
village school district, the governing board of an educational
service center, a county board of developmental disabilities, or the
governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school, community school
established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, STEM school
established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code, or head start
program that is responsible for the operation of the school bus on
which a school bus violation detection monitoring system is
installed.

(C)
"Law enforcement officer" means a sheriff, deputy sheriff,
marshal, deputy marshal, school resource officer, police officer of a
police department of any municipal corporation, police constable of
any township, or police officer of a township or joint police
district who is employed on a permanent, full-time basis by a law
enforcement agency.

(D)
"License plate" includes any temporary motor vehicle
license registration issued under section 4503.182 of the Revised
Code or similar law of another jurisdiction.

(E)
"Motor vehicle dealer" has the same meaning as in section
4517.01 of the Revised Code.

(F)
"Motor vehicle renting dealer" has the same meaning as in
section 4549.65 of the Revised Code.

(G)
"Notice of violation" means a traffic ticket, citation,
summons, or other ticket issued in response to an alleged school bus
violation detected by a school bus violation detection monitoring
system that represents a civil violation.

(H)
"Recorded images" means either of the following, recorded
by a school bus violation detection monitoring system, when they are
sufficiently clear and show, on at least one image or on a portion of
the videotape, the rear of a vehicle and the letters and numerals on
the rear license plate of the vehicle:

(1)
Two or more photographs, microphotographs, electronic images, or
digital images;

(2)
Videotape.

(I)
"Registered owner" means all of the following:

(1)
Any person or entity identified by the bureau of motor vehicles or
any other state motor vehicle registration bureau, department, or
office as the owner of a vehicle;

(2)
The lessee of a vehicle under a lease of six months or longer;

(3)
The renter of a vehicle pursuant to a written rental agreement with a
motor vehicle renting dealer.

(J)
"School bus violation detection monitoring system" means a
camera system affixed to a school bus that consists of two or more
camera sensors or computers that can produce recorded images.

(K)
"School bus violation" means a violation of division (A) of
section 4511.75 of the Revised Code, or a substantially equivalent
municipal ordinance, when division (E) of section 4511.752 of the
Revised Code applies.

Sec.

4511.751

4511.752
.

As
used in this section, "license plate" includes, but is not
limited to, any temporary motor vehicle license registration issued
under section 4503.182 of the Revised Code or similar law of another
jurisdiction.

(A)

When
the operator of a school bus believes that a motorist has violated
division (A) of section 4511.75 of the Revised Code, the operator
shall report the license plate number and a general description of
the vehicle and of the operator of the vehicle to the law enforcement
agency exercising jurisdiction over the area where the alleged
violation occurred.

(B)

The
information contained in the report relating to the license plate
number and to the general description of the vehicle and the operator
of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation may be supplied

or
corroborated
by
any person with first-hand knowledge of the information. Information

of
which the operator of the school bus has first-hand knowledge

contained
in the report
also
may be

supplied or

corroborated by
any
other person
an
entity responsible for operation of a school bus or its contracted
private vendor, through an image, images, or video recorded by a
school bus camera, including a school bus violation detection
monitoring system, installed pursuant to section 4511.76 of the
Revised Code
.

(C)(1)

Upon
receipt of the report of the alleged violation of division (A) of
section 4511.75 of the Revised Code, the law enforcement agency shall
conduct an investigation to attempt to determine or confirm the

following:

(a)
The license plate number, the color, and the make and model of the
vehicle;

(b)
The date, approximate time, and location of the alleged violation;

(c)
The
identity
of the operator of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation.

(2)
The law enforcement agency may use a sufficiently clear image,
images, or video provided by a school bus camera, including a school
bus violation detection monitoring system installed pursuant to
section 4511.76 of the Revised Code, to determine the information
specified in division (C)(1) of this section.

(D)

If
the identity of the operator at the time of the alleged violation is
established, the reporting of the license plate number of the vehicle
shall establish probable cause for the law enforcement agency to
issue a
criminal

citation
for the violation of division (A) of section 4511.75 of the Revised
Code.
However,
if

(E)
If
the
identity of the operator of the vehicle at the time of the alleged
violation cannot be established

and the recorded image, images, or video are sufficiently clear to
identify the license plate of the vehicle that is the subject of the
alleged violation
,
the law enforcement agency
shall
issue a warning
may
do one of the following, as applicable:

(1)
Issue a notice of violation for a civil penalty of three hundred
dollars
to
the
registered

owner
of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation
,
except in the case of a leased or rented vehicle when the warning
shall be issued to the lessee at the time of the alleged violation

in accordance with sections 4511.753 to 4511.757 of the Revised Code
.

A law enforcement agency shall not issue a notice of violation under
this division unless both of the following apply:

(a)
The entity responsible for operation of the school bus that is the
subject of the alleged violation has installed a school bus violation
detection monitoring system pursuant to section 4511.76 of the
Revised Code on all school buses actively operated by the entity for
transportation routes.

(b)
The recorded image meets all requirements necessary to issue a ticket
under section 4511.753 of the Revised Code.

(2)
Issue a warning to the registered owner of the vehicle at the time of
the alleged violation.

(F)
A law enforcement agency shall not issue both a criminal citation and
a civil notice of violation for a single instance of a violation of
division (A) of section 4511.75 of the Revised Code.

(G)

The
registrar of motor vehicles and deputy registrars shall, at the time
of issuing license plates to any person, include with the license
plate a summary of the requirements of division (A) of section
4511.75 of the Revised Code and the procedures of, and penalty in,
division (F) of section 4511.75 of the Revised Code.

(H)
For purposes of enforcing section 4511.75 of the Revised Code under
this section, the state highway patrol may issue a criminal citation
under division (D) of this section, but shall not issue a notice of
violation for a civil violation under division (E) of this section.
If the identity of the operator of the vehicle at the time of the
alleged violation cannot be established, the state highway patrol may
issue a warning to the registered owner of the vehicle at the time of
the alleged violation.

Sec.
4511.753.
(A)
When a law enforcement agency receives a report under division (A) or
(B) of section 4511.752 of the Revised Code, and the identity of the
operator of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation cannot
be established, the law enforcement agency may use any lawful means
to identify the registered owner for purposes of issuing a notice of
violation under this section to that owner if all of the following
are shown on the image recorded by a school bus violation detection
monitoring system:

(1)
The school bus violation;

(2)
The date and time of the violation;

(3)
The electronic red light visual signals or stop warning sign to
demonstrate that such signals and sign were actuated;

(4)
The letter and numerals on the license plate of the vehicle involved
and the state that issued the license plate.

(B)(1)
After the identification of the registered owner under division (A)
of this section and within thirty days of the school bus violation,
the law enforcement agency or the agency's agent may issue and send
by regular mail in a clearly marked envelope that includes the citing
law enforcement agency on the envelope a notice of violation charging
the registered owner with the violation.

(2)
A school bus violation for which a notice of violation is issued by
or on behalf of a law enforcement agency based on evidence recorded
by a school bus violation detection monitoring system is a civil
violation. The law enforcement agency or the agency's agent shall
issue the notice of violation in accordance with the requirements of
section 4511.754 of the Revised Code. The civil penalty for the
notice of violation shall be three hundred dollars.

(C)
A law enforcement agency or the agency's agent that mails a notice of
violation charging the registered owner with the school bus violation
shall, without unnecessary delay, file a certified copy of the notice
of violation with the municipal court or county court with
jurisdiction over the civil action.

(D)
A certified copy of the notice of violation alleging a school bus
violation, sworn to or affirmed by a law enforcement officer employed
by the law enforcement agency, including by electronic means, and the
recorded images produced by the school bus violation detection
monitoring system, is prima facie evidence of the facts contained
therein and is admissible in a civil action or proceeding concerning
the notice of violation issued under this section.

Sec.
4511.754.
A
law enforcement agency or the agency's agent shall ensure that a
notice of violation for a school bus violation sent under section
4511.753 of the Revised Code contains all of the following:

(A)
The name and address of the registered owner;

(B)
The letters and numerals appearing on the license plate issued to the
vehicle;

(C)
The school bus violation charged;

(D)
A statement that the violation was recorded by a school bus violation
detection monitoring system;

(E)
The date and time of the violation;

(F)
A copy of the recorded images;

(G)
The amount of the civil penalty imposed, the date by which the civil
penalty is required to be paid, and the address of the municipal
court or county court with jurisdiction over the civil action to
which the payment is to be sent;

(H)
A statement signed by a law enforcement officer indicating that,
based on an inspection of the recorded images, the vehicle was
involved in a school bus violation and the recorded images are prima
facie evidence of that school bus violation. The law enforcement
officer may sign the statement electronically.

(I)
Information advising the person or entity alleged to be liable of the
options prescribed in section 4511.755 of the Revised Code, including
the time, place, and manner in which the person or entity may appear
in court to contest the violation and notice of violation and the
procedure for disclaiming liability by submitting an affidavit to the
municipal court or county court as prescribed in section 4511.755 of
the Revised Code;

(J)
A warning that failure to exercise one of the options prescribed in
section 4511.755 of the Revised Code is deemed to be an admission of
liability and waiver of the opportunity to contest the violation.

Sec.
4511.755.
A
person or entity who receives a notice of violation for a civil
violation sent under section 4511.753 of the Revised Code shall elect
to do one of the following:

(A)
In accordance with instructions on the notice of violation, pay the
civil penalty, thereby admitting liability and waiving the
opportunity to contest the violation;

(B)(1)
Within thirty days after receipt of the notice of violation, provide
the municipal court or county court with jurisdiction over the civil
action with either of the following affidavits:

(a)
An affidavit executed by the registered owner and the operator of the
vehicle at the time of the violation identifying that operator as the
designated party who may be held liable for the violation, and
containing at a minimum the name and address of that designated
party;

(b)
An affidavit executed by the registered owner stating that at the
time of the violation, the vehicle or the license plates issued to
the vehicle were stolen and therefore were in the care, custody, or
control of some person or entity to whom the registered owner did not
grant permission to use the vehicle. To demonstrate that the vehicle
or the license plates were stolen prior to the school bus violation
and therefore were not under the control or possession of the
registered owner at the time of the violation, the registered owner
shall submit proof that a report about the stolen vehicle or license
plates was filed with the appropriate law enforcement agency prior to
the violation or within forty-eight hours after the violation
occurred.

(2)
A registered owner is not responsible for a school bus violation if,
within thirty days after the date of mailing of the notice of
violation, the registered owner furnishes an affidavit specified in
division (B)(1)(a) or (b) of this section to the court with
jurisdiction in a form established by the court and the following
conditions are met:

(a)
If the registered owner and the operator of the vehicle at the time
of the violation submit an affidavit as specified in division
(B)(1)(a) of this section, the operator as the designated party
either accepts liability for the violation by paying the civil
penalty or by failing to request a court hearing within thirty days
or is determined liable in a court hearing.

(b)
If the registered owner submits an affidavit as specified in division
(B)(1)(b) of this section, the affidavit is supported by a stolen
vehicle or stolen license plate report as required in that division.

(C)
If the registered owner is a motor vehicle dealer or a motor vehicle
renting dealer, notify the court with jurisdiction of the name and
address of the customer, lessee, or renter of the vehicle at the time
of the school bus violation. The court may establish the form of the
notice or use a standard form of notice. A motor vehicle dealer or
motor vehicle renting dealer who receives a notice of violation for
an alleged school bus violation detected by a school bus violation
detection monitoring system is not liable for a notice of violation
issued for a vehicle that was in the care, custody, or control of a
customer, lessee, or renter at the time of the alleged violation. The
dealer shall not pay the fine specified on the notice of violation
and subsequently attempt to collect a fee or assess the customer,
lessee, or renter a charge for any payment of such a notice of
violation made on behalf of the customer, lessee, or renter.

(D)
If the vehicle involved in the school bus violation is a commercial
motor vehicle and the notice of violation is issued to a corporate
entity, provide to the court with jurisdiction an affidavit, sworn to
or affirmed by an agent of the corporate entity, that provides the
name and address of the employee who was operating the vehicle at the
time of the alleged violation and who is the designated party;

(E)
Contest the notice of violation by filing a written request for a
court hearing to review the notice of violation in a form established
by the court. The person shall file the written request not later
than thirty days after receipt of the notice of violation. The
failure to request a hearing within this time period constitutes a
waiver of the right to contest the violation and notice of violation,
and is deemed to constitute an admission of liability.

Sec.
4511.756.
(A)(1)
A court with jurisdiction that receives an affidavit described in
division (B)(1)(a) or (D) of section 4511.755 of the Revised Code or
a notification under division (C) of that section from a registered
owner may proceed to notify the law enforcement agency to send a
notice of violation that conforms with this section and section
4511.754 of the Revised Code to the designated party.

(2)
The law enforcement agency shall send the conforming notice of
violation to the designated party by ordinary mail not later than
thirty days after receipt of the notification from the court.

(B)(1)
If, after conducting a hearing requested under division (E) of
section 4511.755 of the Revised Code, the court finds by a
preponderance of the evidence that the alleged school bus violation
did in fact occur and that the person named in the original or any
subsequent notice of violation is the person who was operating the
vehicle at the time of the violation, the court shall issue a written
decision imposing liability for the violation upon the individual and
submit it to the law enforcement agency and the person named in the
notice of violation.

(2)
If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the
alleged school bus violation did not occur or did in fact occur but
the person named in the original or any subsequent notice of
violation is not the person who was operating the vehicle at the time
of the violation, the court shall issue a written decision finding
that the individual is not liable for the violation and submit it to
the law enforcement agency and the person named in the notice of
violation.

(3)
If the person who requested the court hearing fails to appear, the
court may determine that the person is liable for the violation or
grant a continuance of the hearing. If the court determines that the
person is liable, the court shall issue a written decision imposing
liability for the violation upon the individual and submit it to the
law enforcement agency and the person named in the notice of
violation.

(C)
The court shall charge the applicable court costs and fees for the
civil action to the party that does not prevail in the action.

(D)(1)
If a person liable for a school bus violation fails to pay the civil
penalty or any applicable court costs and fees, the court may notify
the registrar of motor vehicles.

(2)
If the registrar receives a notice from a court under division (D)(1)
of this section, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall
accept any application for the registration or transfer of
registration of any motor vehicle owner or leased by the person named
in the notice, until the registrar receives notice from the court
that the civil penalty and any court costs and fees has been paid or
dismissed.

Sec.
4511.757.
(A)
The civil penalty charged and collected in accordance with sections
4511.753 to 4511.757 of the Revised Code shall be paid as follows:

(1)
Fifty dollars to the school bus safety fund created in section
3327.18 of the Revised Code;

(2)
Two hundred fifty dollars to the entity responsible for operation of
the school bus.

(B)
The entity responsible for operation of the school bus shall use the
proceeds it receives for school bus safety technology initiatives. As
part of those initiatives, the entity may use proceeds for the
purpose of defraying the costs of purchasing, installing, operating,
and maintaining the school bus violation detection monitoring systems
and offsetting a law enforcement agency's costs related to reviewing
recorded images and issuing the notices of violation.

Sec.
4511.76.
(A)
The department of public safety, by and with the advice of the
department of education and workforce, shall adopt and enforce rules
relating to the construction, design, and equipment

of all school buses both publicly and privately owned and operated in
this state
,
including
lighting

rules
governing both of the following:

(1)
Lighting
equipment
required by section 4511.771 of the Revised Code
,
of all school buses both publicly and privately owned and operated in
this state
;

(2)
School bus cameras, including school bus violation detection
monitoring systems, that provide an image, images, or video for
purposes of recording a violation of division (A) of section 4511.75
of the Revised Code
.

(B)
The department of education and workforce, by and with the advice of
the director of public safety, shall adopt and enforce rules relating
to the operation of all vehicles used for pupil transportation.

(C)
No person shall operate a vehicle used for pupil transportation
within this state in violation of the rules of the department of
education and workforce or the department of public safety. No
person, being the owner thereof or having the supervisory
responsibility therefor, shall permit the operation of a vehicle used
for pupil transportation within this state in violation of the rules
of the department of education and workforce or the department of
public safety.

(D)
The department of public safety shall adopt and enforce rules
relating to the issuance of a license under section 4511.763 of the
Revised Code. The rules may relate to the condition of the equipment
to be operated; the liability and property damage insurance carried
by the applicant; the posting of satisfactory and sufficient bond;
and such other rules as the director of public safety determines
reasonably necessary for the safety of the pupils to be transported.

(E)
A chartered nonpublic school or a community school may own and
operate, or contract with a vendor that supplies, a vehicle
originally designed for not more than nine passengers, not including
the driver, to transport students to and from regularly scheduled
school sessions when one of the following applies:

(1)
A student's school district of residence has declared the
transportation of the student impractical pursuant to section 3327.02
of the Revised Code;

(2)
A student does not live within thirty minutes of the chartered
nonpublic school or the community school, as applicable, and the
student's school district is not required to transport the student
under section 3327.01 of the Revised Code;

(3)
The governing authority of the chartered nonpublic school or the
community school has offered to provide the transportation for its
students in lieu of the students being transported by their school
district of residence.

(F)
A school district may own and operate, or contract with a vendor that
supplies, a vehicle originally designed for not more than nine
passengers, not including the driver, to transport students to and
from regularly scheduled school sessions, if both of the following
apply to the operation of that vehicle:

(1)
The number of students to be transported is not more than nine;

(2)
The students attend a chartered nonpublic school or a community
school, and the school district regularly transports students to that
chartered nonpublic school or that community school.

(G)
A school district or the governing authority of a chartered nonpublic
school or community school that uses a vehicle originally designed
for not more than nine passengers, not including the driver, in
accordance with division (E) or (F) of this section, shall ensure
that all of the following apply to the operation of that vehicle:

(1)
A qualified mechanic inspects the vehicle not fewer than two times
each year and determines that it is safe for pupil transportation;

(2)
The driver of the vehicle does not stop on the roadway to load or
unload passengers;

(3)
The driver of the vehicle meets the requirements specified for a
driver of a school bus or motor van under section 3327.10 of the
Revised Code and any corresponding rules adopted by the department of
education and workforce. Notwithstanding that section or any
department rules to the contrary, the driver is not required to have
a commercial driver's license but shall have a current, valid
driver's license, and shall be accustomed to operating the vehicle
used to transport the students;

(4)
The driver and all passengers in the vehicle comply with the
requirements of sections 4511.81 and 4513.263 of the Revised Code, as
applicable.

(H)
(H)(1)
An entity responsible for operation of a school bus may purchase,
install, operate, and maintain school bus cameras, including school
bus violation detection monitoring systems, on its new or currently
owned and operated school buses. Alternatively, the entity may
contract with a private vendor to purchase, install, operate, and
maintain such cameras and systems on the school buses.

(2)
An entity that uses school bus violation detection monitoring
systems, either on its own or through a contract with a private
vendor, shall do both of the following:

(a)
Ensure that all of the entity's school buses with a regular
transportation route are outfitted with a school bus violation
detection monitoring system before commencing a civil penalty system
in accordance with sections 4511.753 to 4511.757 of the Revised Code;

(b)
Enter into a memorandum of understanding with the appropriate local
law enforcement agency to ensure review of the recorded images
captured by the school bus violation detection monitoring systems,
reimbursement of review expenses, and appropriate enforcement
support.

(I)

As
used in this section, "vehicle used for pupil transportation"
means any vehicle that is identified as such by the department of
education and workforce by rule and that is subject to Chapter
3301-83 of the Administrative Code.

(I)

(J)

Except
as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates this section
is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If the offender previously has been
convicted of or pleaded guilty to one or more violations of this
section or section 4511.63, 4511.761, 4511.762, 4511.764, 4511.77, or
4511.79 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is
substantially similar to any of those sections, whoever violates this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

Section
2.
That
existing sections 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4511.75, 4511.751, and
4511.76 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section
3.
This
act shall be known as the School Bus Safety Act.