H. B. 2144


(By Delegates Kuhn, Tucker, Butcher,
Stalnaker, Hrutkay, Perry and Perdue)
[Introduced January 13, 2003; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then Finance.]



A BILL to amend and reenact section eight, article twelve, chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to requiring alternatively flashing headlights on the front of school buses that are stopped.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight, article twelve, chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 12. SPECIAL STOPS REQUIRED.
§17C-12-8. Special lighting equipment on school buses.

(a) The commissioner of motor vehicles is authorized to may adopt standards and specifications applicable to lighting equipment on and special warning devices to be carried by school buses consistent with the provisions of this chapter, but supplemental thereto, and except that such the standards and specifications may designate and permit the use of flashing warning signal lights on school buses for the purpose of indicating when children are boarding or alighting from any said bus. Such The standards and specifications shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform to the specifications then current as approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers: Provided, That in addition to all other required flashing lights, school buses shall have two frontal flashing headlights that flash alternately during periods when the bus is slowing down to stop or stopped.
(b) It shall be is unlawful to operate any flashing warning signal light on any school bus except when any said the school bus is stopped or is slowing down to stop on any street or highway for the purpose of permitting school children to board or alight from said the school bus.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require school buses to have alternately flashing headlights in the front for stops.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.