An Act to Require School Buses to Be Equipped with and to Use
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2159
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: GEIGER
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2302, 29-A MRSA §2306-A

Legislative Document
No. 2159
H.P. 1448
House of Representatives, January 13, 2026
An Act to Require School Buses to Be Equipped with and to Use 
School Bus Crossing Arms
(AFTER DEADLINE)
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GEIGER of Rockland.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, current law does not require school buses of model year 2020 or older to 
be equipped with a school bus crossing arm; and 
Whereas, for those school buses that are equipped with a school bus crossing arm, 
current law does not require the school bus crossing arm to be activated while a school bus 
is receiving and discharging passengers; and
Whereas, requiring school bus crossing arms on all school buses and requiring the 
school bus crossing arm to be activated while a school bus is receiving and discharging 
passengers will result in greater safety for children who travel to and from school on school 
buses; and
Whereas, the safety of children is of paramount importance, and this legislation must 
take effect immediately to protect children; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §2302, sub-§1-A, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 413, §2, is 
amended to read:
1-A.  School bus crossing arms.  A school bus of model year 2021 or newer must be 
equipped with a school bus crossing arm.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §2306-A is enacted to read:
§2306-A.  Required use of school bus crossing arm
1.   Required use.  The operator of a school bus equipped with a school bus crossing 
arm shall activate the school bus crossing arm while the school bus is stopped to receive or 
discharge passengers.
2.  Violation.  A person commits a Class E crime if that person, while operating a 
school bus, fails to activate a school bus crossing arm as required by subsection 1.
3.  Suspension.  On conviction of an operator of failure to activate a school bus 
crossing arm, the Secretary of State shall revoke the operator's school bus operator 
endorsement issued pursuant to section 2303 for a period of not less than 2 years.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill requires all school buses to be equipped with a school bus crossing arm and 
requires the operator of a school bus to activate the school bus crossing arm while the bus 
is stopped to receive or discharge passengers.  The bill provides that the penalty for not 
activating a school bus crossing arm is a Class E crime and requires the Secretary of State 
to revoke the operator's endorsement to operate a school bus for a period of not less than 2 
years.  The penalty is the same penalty that applies to failure of a school bus operator to 
stop at a railroad track crossing.