Those who do not properly stop for school buses on the roadway will be fined twice as much if Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs House Bill 1873.

House Bill 1873 seeks to crack down on those who ignore the stop arm on school buses by increasing the fine from $150 to $300 for the first offense, and from $500 to $1,000 for the second or subsequent offense. 

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, on average, 33 school-age children are killed every year nationwide in school-bus related crashes, many of which are caused by a passing vehicle in violation of the school bus warning systems.

House Bill 1873 passed the Senate unanimously with a vote of 53-0 and now heads to the Governor for his consideration.

Another public safety measure, House Bill 2383, which would crack down on drivers who violate right-of-way rules and injure pedestrians in crosswalks, passed the Illinois Senate during the week.

House Bill 2383 would require a one-year suspension of an individual’s driver’s license if they commit a right-of-way violation at a crosswalk or a crosswalk in a school zone that results in bodily harm or death. The legislation was filed in response to the death of Iroquois resident Mason Knorr, who was killed in a traffic crash when a semi-truck failed to obey a posted stop sign.

House Bill 2383 passed the Senate unanimously on May 21 and is now headed back to the House for a concurrence vote.