SB144 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jimmy Holley

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

School buses, automated civil enforcement of school bus violations, county and city boards of education may initiate and enforce, district and municipal courts, county and city law enforcement

Summary

SB144 allows county and city boards of education to use automated cameras to civilly enforce school bus passing violations and collect fines.

What This Bill Does

It authorizes civil enforcement of overtaking a stopped school bus in participating counties and municipalities using automated devices. Boards can operate the program themselves or contract with private vendors and work with local law enforcement; notices are sent by mail and drivers may contest the notice or transfer responsibility. Civil fines are set at up to $300 for a first offense, $750 for a second, and $1,000 for subsequent offenses within five years, with funds distributed to the local government, the school system, and state safety programs, and with privacy protections for recorded images. The bill also outlines notices, appeals, record destruction timelines, and collection procedures, while prohibiting arrest for nonpayment and allowing for court review of contested cases.

Who It Affects

• Vehicle owners and operators in counties or municipalities that adopt the program; they may receive a civil notice, pay fines (which may not affect their driving history if paid timely), contest the notice, or transfer responsibility to another operator.
• Local governments, boards of education, law enforcement agencies, and contracted vendors who implement, operate, maintain, and enforce the automated school bus violation program and process fines and records.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes automated enforcement of school bus violations as a civil offense in counties and municipalities; boards may adopt the program or contract for installation, operation, notice processing, and maintenance of automated devices.
• Defines key terms (automated device, owner, school bus violation, contractor, trained technician) and requires intergovernmental agreements with law enforcement and the governing body when using a contractor.
• Establishes fines: up to $300 for a first offense, $750 for a second, and $1,000 for each subsequent offense within a five-year period; fines are distributed 40% to the contracting local government, 40% to the school system, 10% to the State Department of Education, and 10% to the Alabama Department of Public Safety.
• Notice by mail within 14 days of review; notices must include owner information, vehicle details, violation, images or video (not showing faces), amount and payment method, and procedures to contest or transfer responsibility with a minimum 30-day payment/response window.
• Record retention and destruction rules: non-identifying images destroyed within 90 days; identifying images destroyed within 30 days after final disposition, unless ordered by a court.
• Liability: the vehicle owner is generally responsible unless another person operated the vehicle and proper transfer procedures are followed; joint and several liability applies among owners.
• Appeals: civil notices can be contested in district or municipal court with a preponderance standard; successful contesting may lead to refunds if adjudicated not responsible; there is a de novo appeal option to circuit court with payment of the full fine upfront and specific cost rules.
• Nonpayment cannot lead to arrest; collection may be handled by a county or municipal collection service; a separate $10 fee is paid to the Criminal Justice Information Center for record-keeping related to notices.
• Records related to enforcement are available only by court order; the act includes severability and a specified effective date.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

School Bus Violation