| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT ESTABLISHING THAT CERTAIN SCHOOL BUS CAMERA RECORDED 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | IMAGES ARE PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING A FAILURE TO STOP 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | FOR A SCHOOL BUS AND EXTENDING THE MAXIMUM LENGTH FOR 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | AUTOMATED SCHOOL BUS SAFETY CAMERA SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | PRIVATE VENDORS. 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 20-217 reads as rewritten: 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | "§ 20-217. Motor vehicles to stop for properly marked and designated school buses in 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | certain instances; evidence of identity of driver. 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | … 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | (h) Automated school bus safety cameras, as defined in G.S. 115C-242.1, may be used 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | to detect and prosecute violations of this section. Any photograph or video recorded by an 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | automated school bus safety camera shall, if consistent with the North Carolina Rules of 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | Evidence, be admissible as evidence in any proceeding alleging a violation of subsection (a) of 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | this section. Recorded images from a school bus safety camera showing that a school bus was 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | stopped and was displaying its mechanical stop signal or flashing red lights shall be prima facie 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | evidence that (i) the school bus was stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | passengers and (ii) the school bus was equipped and marked in compliance with this section. 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | Failure to produce a photograph or video recorded by an automated school bus safety camera 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | shall not preclude prosecution under this section." 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | offenses committed on or after that date. 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-242.1 reads as rewritten: 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | "§ 115C-242.1. Installation and operation of automated school bus safety camera. 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | … 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | (b) Installation and Operation. – Automated school bus safety cameras may be installed 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | and operated on any school bus operated by a local board of education within a county that has 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | adopted an ordinance under G.S. 153A 246 as follows: 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | … 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | (2) A local board of education may enter into a service contract to install and 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | operate automated school bus safety cameras with a private vendor. Contracts 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | shall be let in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 143 129 applicable to 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | purchases of apparatus, supplies, materials, or equipment. The maximum 34 |
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| 46 | 47 | | length of any contract entered into under this subdivision shall be three five 35 |
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