Rhode Island is on the road to requiring that all school buses have
video systems to help monitor traffic violations and keep students, aides, and bus drivers safe.
Governor Dan McKee ceremonially signed the legislation (S0568A/H5421Aaa) into law at Pleasant View Elementary School in Smithfield today.
The required systems will be used to monitor school bus violatio
ns, such as when vehicles pass a school bus while red lights are flashing. Before this legislation, violations for illegally passing a school bus could only be enforce
d if a police officer was physically present at the time of the offense.
The legislation requires the cameras on new school buses to be active starting July 1, 2027, although the law
also offers a “grace period” for these systems to be used on all Rhode Island school buses—new and existing—by July 1, 2032.
“With this legislation, we’re putting the safety of our students first,” said McKee.
“This bill is necessary for student safety, driver safety, and monitor safety,” said Representative Thomas E. Noret
(D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick), a retired officer with the Coventry Police Department. Noret said he spoke
with the school bus operations in one of the communities he re
Watch More Image Part 2 >>>
presents, and they said the time frame for budgeting, allocation, and implementation was “very thoughtful and reasonable.”
After not receiving any notice of repair by the deadline, Century-National sent another email to Trahan informing
the agency that it had not received notice of repair and that the D
eers’ policy would not be renewed if notice of repair was not received b
y the policy expiration date. Approximately four weeks later, and two months before the policy expiration date, Century-National sent a no
nrenewal notice to the Deers by certified mail, which the insureds claimed they never received. Ultimately, Century-National never received notice of repair, and did not renew the policy.
Shortly after expiration of the policy, the plaintiffs’ home was destroyed by an accidental fire. The plaintiffs made a claim under the policy, but Century-Nationa
l denied their claim because the home was not insured at the time of the loss. The Deers said they had assumed that their p
olicy had been renewed just as their Allstate policies had been for 15 years.