Increases the penalties for overtaking and passing a school bus; provides that for the first conviction a person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $350 nor more than $500; provides that for a second conviction a person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $800; also provides that for a third conviction a person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $800 nor more than $1500.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10694
IN SENATE
September 11, 2026
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Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing
the penalties for passing a school bus with its red lights illuminated
indicating that it is picking up or discharging students
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (c) of section 1174 of the vehicle and traffic
2 law, as amended by chapter 433 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 (c) Every person convicted of a violation of subdivision (a) of this
5 section shall: for a first conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of
6 not less than [two] three hundred fifty dollars nor more than [four]
7 five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days or
8 by both such fine and imprisonment; for a conviction of a second
9 violation, both of which were committed within a period of three years,
10 such person shall be punished by a fine of not less than [six] five
11 hundred dollars nor more than [seven hundred fifty] eight hundred
12 dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one hundred eighty days or
13 by both such fine and imprisonment; upon a conviction of a third or
14 subsequent violation, all of which were committed within a period of
15 three years, such person shall be punished by a fine of not less than
16 [seven hundred fifty] eight hundred dollars nor more than one thousand
17 five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one hundred
18 eighty days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
20 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07458-01-5
