Baker Calls for Action on School Bus Safety as New School Year Begins

HARRISBURG - As students across Pennsylvania return to classrooms, Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) is urging the House of Representatives to take pass her legislation to strengthen protections for children getting on and off school buses.

Over the past five years, 25,136 Pennsylvania drivers have been cited for violations in school zones, including 8,302 drivers cited for overtaking or illegally passing a school bus.

"These numbers should concern every parent, grandparent, teacher and driver in Pennsylvania," Baker said. "When a school bus stops and its lights are flashing, children are counting on every driver around them to stop and give them the space and protection they need. There is simply no excuse for putting a child's life at risk by illegally passing a school bus."

Baker is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 65, which unanimously passed the Senate in September 2025. The legislation - Enhancing the Safe Transportation of School Children - would strengthen Pennsylvania's school bus safety laws by increasing the required stopping distance from 10 feet to 15 feet when a school bus is stopped with its red signal lights flashing and side stop arm activated.

The bill also establishes a tiered penalty system for repeat offenders. Current law does not provide enhanced penalties for a second or subsequent school bus passing violation.

"Senate Bill 65 passed the Senate unanimously nearly a year ago because protecting children is not a partisan issue," Baker said. "We have an opportunity to give law enforcement stronger tools to hold repeat offenders accountable and create a greater margin of safety for children. The House should not allow another school year to begin without acting."

The legislation also builds on existing safety requirements by establishing penalties for drivers who fail to prepare to stop when a school bus activates its flashing amber lights.

During Operation Safe Stop in October 2024, law enforcement and school bus drivers across 22 Pennsylvania school districts reported 131 violations in a single day, underscoring the ongoing danger posed by drivers who fail to obey school bus safety laws.

"Parents place their trust in all of us when their children step onto a school bus," Baker said. "We should do everything possible to make sure those children arrive at school and return home safely. I am calling on my colleagues in the House to move Senate Bill 65 forward and make stronger school bus protections a priority."

Senate Bill 65 is awaiting consideration by the full House of Representatives.

CONTACT: Jennifer Wilson