VT H0304

All Types I and II school buses must be equipped with live digital video monitoring systems to detect vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses while red signal lights are flashing

Law enforcement must issue a civil traffic violation to the registered vehicle owner within 10 days when a school bus operator attests in writing (under penalty of perjury) that a vehicle passed illegally, with supporting camera images showing the license plate

Camera systems may only record license plates of violating vehicles, not occupants or other individuals, and footage must be deleted within 90 days unless needed for an active violation case

Illegally passing a school bus is reclassified from a moving violation (which carries 5 points against a driver's license) to a civil traffic violation with no points assessed

Effective date is August 1, 2026, first applying to school buses operated during the 2026-2027 school year