AB2449 - Schoolbuses: stop signal arm enforcement system.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2449 Introduced by Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez February 20, 2026 An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 22454 of, to add and repeal Sections 22454.3 and 22454.6 of, and to repeal, add, repeal, and add Section 22454.5 of, the Vehicle Code, relating to schoolbuses. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2449, as introduced, Michelle Rodriguez. Schoolbuses: stop signal arm enforcement system. Existing law requires the driver of a vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking a schoolbus equipped with required signs that is stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading schoolchildren and displaying a flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, if equipped with a stop signal arm, to bring the vehicle to a stop immediately before passing the schoolbus and to not proceed past the schoolbus until the flashing red light signal and stop signal arm cease operation. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law imposes escalating fines for violations of these provisions, including a fine of not less than $150, but not more than $250, for a first violation. This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2032, school districts to establish a stop signal arm enforcement system pilot program if the system meets specified requirements, in order to enforce the provisions above. The bill would require the school district to publish certain data regarding the system, and post routes or operational hours and camera locations on their internet website before deployment of the system. The bill would authorize the school district to contract with a private vendor or manufacturer to install a stop signal arm enforcement system on each schoolbus in its fleet. The bill would require a school district, vendor, or manufacturer to submit specified information regarding an alleged violation to a law enforcement agency authorized to enforce those violations within 30 days of the alleged violation. The bill would create a process for law enforcement to determine whether the person committed certain violations as well as a process for the alleged offender to challenge the violation. The bill would designate all photographic or administrative records, made by a system as confidential, and would only authorize public agencies to use and allow access to these records for specified purposes. The bill would require a school district operating a stop signal arm enforcement system, by July 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, to provide a summary report to the Governor, Legislature, and Department of Motor Vehicles that describes the use and operation of the system, as specified. This bill would, until January 1, 2032, repeal the authority to impose criminal fines for a violation of the schoolbus provisions and would instead recast the fines as a civil penalty schedule if a person violates those provisions. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Children are most vulnerable while loading or unloading at the curb. Despite Section 22454 of the Vehicle Code, illegal passing persists statewide. (b) Data from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services shows tens of thousands of illegal passings in a single day across participating states. (c) At least 27 states authorize camera enforcement of schoolbus stop-arm violations. California should adopt a privacy protective and civil framework for their system. (d) California has a proven civil automated enforcement model and precedent for historical camera enforcement, as well as automated license plate recognition privacy law, that demonstrate how to balance, safety, privacy, and due process. SEC. 2. Section 22454 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 22454. (a) The driver of any vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any schoolbus equipped with signs as required in this code, that is stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading any schoolchildren and displays a flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 25257, if equipped with a stop signal arm, visible from front or rear, shall bring the vehicle to a stop immediately before passing the schoolbus and shall not proceed past the schoolbus until the flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, if equipped with a stop signal arm, cease operation. (b) (1) The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway or multiple-lane highway need not stop upon meeting or passing a schoolbus that is upon the other roadway. (2) For the purposes of this subdivision, a multiple-lane highway is any highway that has two or more lanes of travel in each direction. (c) (1) If a vehicle was observed overtaking a schoolbus in violation of subdivision (a), and the driver of the schoolbus witnessed the violation, the driver may, within 24 hours, report the violation and furnish the vehicle license plate number and description and the time and place of the violation to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction of the offense. That law enforcement agency shall issue a letter of warning prepared in accordance with paragraph (2) with respect to the alleged violation to the registered owner of the vehicle. The issuance of a warning letter under this paragraph shall not be entered on the driving record of the person to whom it is issued, issued but does not preclude the imposition of any other applicable penalty. (2) The Attorney General shall prepare and furnish to every law enforcement agency in the state a form letter for purposes of paragraph (1), and the law enforcement agency may issue those letters in the exact form prepared by the Attorney General. The Attorney General may charge a fee to any law enforcement agency that requests a copy of the form letter to recover the costs of preparing and providing that copy. (d) This section also applies to a roadway upon private property. (e) A violation of this section is not a crime and is not considered a moving violation for the purpose of assessing points pursuant to Section 12810.5. Imposition of a civil penalty pursuant to Section 22454.6 does not constitute a conviction, shall not be made a part of the driving record of the person upon whom the liability is imposed, and shall not be used for any purposes in the provision of motor vehicle insurance. (f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2032, and as of that date is repealed. SEC. 3. Section 22454 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 22454. (a) The driver of any vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any schoolbus equipped with signs, as required in this code, that is stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading any schoolchildren and displays a flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 25257, if equipped with a stop signal arm, visible from front or rear, shall bring the vehicle to a stop immediately before passing the schoolbus and shall not proceed past the schoolbus until the flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, if equipped with a stop signal arm, cease operation. (b) (1) The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway or multiple-lane highway need not stop upon meeting or passing a schoolbus that is upon the other roadway. (2) For the purposes of this subdivision, a multiple-lane highway is any highway that has two or more lanes of travel in each direction. (c) (1) If a vehicle was observed overtaking a schoolbus in violation of subdivision (a), and the driver of the schoolbus witnessed the violation, the driver may, within 24 hours, report the violation and furnish the vehicle license plate number and description and the time and place of the violation to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction of the offense. That law enforcement agency shall issue a letter of warning prepared in accordance with paragraph (2) with respect to the alleged violation to the registered owner of the vehicle. The issuance of a warning letter under this paragraph shall not be entered on the driving record of the person to whom it is issued but does not preclude the imposition of any other applicable penalty. (2) The Attorney General shall prepare and furnish to every law enforcement agency in the state a form letter for purposes of paragraph (1), and the law enforcement agency may issue those letters in the exact form prepared by the Attorney General. The Attorney General may charge a fee to any law enforcement agency that requests a copy of the form letter to recover the costs of preparing and providing that copy. (d) This section also applies to a roadway upon private property. (e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2032. SEC. 4. Section 22454.3 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 22454.3. (a) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Schoolbus” has the same definition as in subdivision (a) of Section 545. (2) “Stop signal arm enforcement system” means a camera system affixed to the outside of a schoolbus with two or more camera sensors or computers that produce recorded video and two or more film or digital photographic still images for the purpose of documenting the rear license plate of a motor vehicle being used or operated in a manner that allegedly violates Section 22454. (b) A school district may install and operate a stop signal arm enforcement system on a schoolbus for the purpose of enforcing Section 22454. The school district shall post a warning sign or sticker on all schoolbuses in which a system is installed and operational indicating the use of the system. (c) The school district may contract with a private vendor or manufacturer to provide a stop signal arm enforcement system on each bus within its fleet, whether owned, contracted, or leased, and for services, including, but not limited to, the operation and maintenance of the system. The rate of the contract shall be mutually agreed to by the parties, and monetary obligations to the private vendor or manufacturer arising out of the contract shall be fulfilled solely from penalties allocated to the school district pursuant to Section 22454.5. Under no circumstances shall the monetary value of the contract between the school district and a private vendor or manufacturer for stop signal arm enforcement system services exceed the revenues generated by those penalties. The school district shall post on its internet website the contract price for an agreement between the vendor and the school district. (d) Each school district, private manufacturer, or vendor shall, within 30 days after an alleged violation is captured, submit all of the following information to a law enforcement agency authorized to enforce violations of Section 22454: (1) A copy of the recorded image showing the motor vehicle. (2) The license plate number and state of issuance of the motor vehicle. (3) The date, time, and place of the alleged violation. (e) A law enforcement agency authorized to enforce violations of Section 22454 shall review the information submitted by the school district, private manufacturer, or vendor pursuant to subdivision (d) to determine whether there is sufficient evidence that a violation of Section 22454 occurred and, if the evidence shows a violation occurred, shall certify a notice of violation. (f) Upon request by the law enforcement agency, the school district shall provide written documentation that the stop signal arm enforcement system was operating correctly at the time of the alleged violation. (g) A citation based on inspection of recorded images produced by a stop signal arm enforcement system and sworn to or affirmed by a peace officer authorized to enforce violations of Section 22454 shall be prima facie evidence of the facts contained in it. A recorded image evidencing a violation of Section 22454 shall be admissible in any judicial or administrative proceeding to adjudicate the liability for the violation. A rebuttable presumption shall exist that the registered owner of the motor vehicle was the driver at the time of the alleged violation. (h) Within 30 days after receiving the information provided pursuant to subdivision (d), a law enforcement agency authorized to enforce violations of Section 22454 shall send by first-class mail a notice of violation to the registered owner of the motor vehicle involved in the violation. Mailing the notice of violation constitutes notification. In the case of joint ownership of a motor vehicle, the notice of violation shall be mailed to the first name appearing on the registration. However, if the first name appearing on the registration is a business entity, the second name appearing on the registration may be used. (i) The notice of violation shall include all of the following: (1) A copy of the recorded image showing the motor vehicle involved in the violation. (2) A citation for the violation indicating the date, time, and location of the alleged violation. (3) The amount of the civil penalty and the date by which the penalty shall be paid. (4) Instructions on how to request a hearing to contest liability or notice. (5) A warning that failure to pay the civil penalty or to contest liability within 30 days after the notice is mailed shall waive the right to contest liability. (j) The owner of the motor vehicle involved in a violation may admit responsibility for the violation and pay the fine as indicated on the notice of violation. Payment of the fine operates as a final disposition of the civil penalty. (k) (1) Within 30 days after personal delivery or mailing of the notice descried in subdivision (h), the contestant may seek review by filing an appeal to the superior court, where the case shall be heard de novo, except that the contents of the processing agency’s file in the case on appeal shall be lodged by the designated agency at the designated agency’s expense and be received into evidence. A copy of the notice shall be admitted into evidence as prima facie evidence of the facts stated in the notice. A copy of the notice of appeal shall be served in person or by certified first-class mail with return receipt upon the processing agency by the appellant. For purposes of computing the 30-day period, Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall be applicable. A proceeding pursuant to this subdivision is a limited civil case. (2) The fee for filing the notice of appeal shall be [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]