An Act To Require Public School Buses To Be Equipped with School Bus Crossing Arms
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0019
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McCREIGHT, MILLETT, AUSTIN, KORNFIELD, PIERCE, TALBOT ROSS, TERRY, BREEN, ROSEN
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2301, 29-A MRSA §2302

Legislative Document
No. 19
H.P. 20
House of Representatives, January 2, 2019
An Act To Require Public School Buses To Be Equipped with 
School Bus Crossing Arms
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McCREIGHT of Harpswell.
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and
Representatives: AUSTIN of Skowhegan, KORNFIELD of Bangor, McCREA of Fort 
Fairfield, PIERCE of Falmouth, TALBOT ROSS of Portland, TERRY of Gorham, Senators: 
BREEN of Cumberland, ROSEN of Hancock.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §2301, sub-§5-C is enacted to read:
5-C.  School bus crossing arm.  "School bus crossing arm" means a device mounted 
on the front bumper of a school bus that when activated extends outward 8 to 10 feet in 
front of the school bus to require students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the school 
bus to cross the roadway.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §2302,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 293, §2, is further 
amended to read:
§2302.  School bus markings; lights; mirrors; school bus crossing arms
1.  Identifications.  Each school bus:
A.  Must be identified with the words, "school bus":
(1)  Printed in letters not less than 8 inches high; and
(2)  Located between the warning signal lamps as high as possible without 
impairing front and rear visibility of the lettering;
B.  Must have no other lettering on the front or rear, except lettering not more than 4 
inches high indicating an emergency exit and a bus number;
C.  Must be painted national school bus glossy yellow, except that the hood may be 
lusterless black;
D.  Must have bumpers of glossy black unless painting is impracticable through use 
of rubber, reflective material or other devices;
E.  Must be equipped with a system of signal lights that conform to school bus 
requirements approved by the Commissioner of Education;
F.  Must be equipped with a system of mirrors that give the seated operator a view of 
the way to each side of the bus, and of the area immediately in front of the front 
bumper;
G.  May be equipped with a system of stop arms to be operated only with the red 
signal lights; and
H.  May be equipped with reflective strips of national school bus yellow.
1-A.  School bus crossing arms.  A school bus must be equipped with a school bus 
crossing arm.
3.  Other purposes.  A school bus permanently converted wholly to other purposes 
must be painted a color other than national school bus glossy yellow and have the words 
"school bus," school bus signal lights and stop arms removed.
4.  Other passengers.  A school bus operated on a public way and transporting 
passengers who do not include school-age persons must have the words "school bus" 
removed or concealed and the school bus signal lamps may not be operable.
5.  Application.  A vehicle operated on a public way displaying the words "school 
bus" or with the equipment required by this section may only be used to transport school-
age persons, as defined in section 2301.
SUMMARY
This bill requires school buses to be equipped with a school bus crossing arm, which 
is a device requiring students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the school bus to cross the 
roadway.