(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 21, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT A.B. 527
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 527–COMMITTEE
ON GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE
(ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE
ON GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE)
MARCH 24, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Growth and Infrastructure
SUMMARY—Authorizes the installation and use of school bus
infraction detection systems on school buses.
(BDR 43-421)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to traffic laws; authorizing a school district to
install and use a school bus infraction detection system on
school buses to enforce certain provisions of law;
requiring a peace officer of a traffic enforcement agency
having jurisdiction over the location in which such school
buses operate to review certain evidence detected by the
school bus infraction detection system before a civil
infraction citation is issued; establishing requirements
relating to the issuance of a civil infraction citation based
on evidence detected by a school bus infraction detection
system; establishes certain requirements for a hearing
relating to a civil infraction citation issued for a violation
detected by a school bus infraction detection system; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law prohibits a governmental entity or its agents from using 1
photographic, video or digital equipment to gather evidence in order to issue a 2
traffic citation or civil infraction citation unless the equipment is: (1) a portable 3
camera or event recording device worn or held by a peace officer; (2) installed 4
within a vehicle or facility of a law enforcement agency; or (3) privately owned by 5
a nongovernmental entity. (NRS 484A.600) Sections 2 and 3 of this bill create an 6
exception to this prohibition, authorizing the board of trustees of a school district to 7
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allow for the installation and use of a school bus infraction detection system in 8
school buses owned by the school district to enforce existing provisions of law 9
prohibiting a driver of any vehicle from overtaking or passing a school bus which: 10
(1) has stopped to receive or discharge any pupil; and (2) is displaying a flashing 11
red light signal visible from the front and rear. (NRS 484B.353) Section 2 requires 12
a peace officer of a traffic enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the location in 13
which any school bus equipped with such a system operates to review the evidence 14
of such a violation recorded by the system before a civil infraction citation is 15
issued. Section 2 further: (1) requires a school district that has not previously 16
installed and used a school bus infraction detection system to conduct a public 17
awareness campaign for not less than 30 days after the system is placed into use; 18
(2) establishes certain requirements for a hearing for a citation issued pursuant to 19
section 2; (3) applies an existing fine structure to a citation issued pursuant 20
to section 2; (4) requires a school district to use any fines collected pursuant to 21
section 2 for certain purposes; and (5) requires each school district that installs such 22
a system to prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature relating to the 23
school bus infraction detection system. Sections 1 and 2 of this bill provide that a 24
violation detected by a school bus infraction detection system is not a moving 25
traffic violation. 26
Sections 1 and 4-6 of this bill make conforming changes to: (1) exclude traffic 27
violations detected by a school bus infraction detection system from the assessment 28
of demerit points; and (2) provide for the issuance of civil infraction citations for 29
violations detected by a school bus infraction detection system. 30
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 483.473 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
483.473 1. As used in this section, “traffic violation” means 2
conviction of a moving traffic violation in any municipal court, 3
justice court or district court in this State or a finding by any 4
municipal court or justice court in this State that a person has 5
committed a civil infraction pursuant to NRS 484A.703 to 6
484A.705, inclusive. The term includes a finding by a juvenile court 7
that a child has violated a traffic law or ordinance other than one 8
governing standing or parking. The term does not include [a] : 9
(a) A conviction or a finding by a juvenile court of a violation of 10
the speed limit posted by a public authority under the circumstances 11
described in subsection 1 of NRS 484B.617 [.] ; or 12
(b) A citation issued for a violation detected by a school bus 13
infraction detection system pursuant to section 2 of this act. 14
2. The Department shall establish a uniform system of demerit 15
points for various traffic violations occurring within this State 16
affecting the driving privilege of any person who holds a driver’s 17
license issued by the Department and persons deemed to have future 18
driving privileges pursuant to NRS 483.447. The system must be 19
based on the accumulation of demerits during a period of 12 20
months. 21
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3. The system must be uniform in its operation, and the 1
Department shall set up a schedule of demerits for each traffic 2
violation, depending upon the gravity of the violation, on a scale of 3
one demerit point for a minor violation of any traffic law to eight 4
demerit points for an extremely serious violation of the law 5
governing traffic violations. If a conviction of two or more traffic 6
violations committed on a single occasion is obtained, points must 7
be assessed for one offense or civil infraction, and if the point values 8
differ, points must be assessed for the offense or civil infraction 9
having the greater point value. Details of the violation must be 10
submitted to the Department by the court where the conviction or 11
finding is obtained. The Department may provide for a graduated 12
system of demerits within each category of violations according to 13
the extent to which the traffic law was violated. 14
Sec. 2. Chapter 484A of NRS is hereby amended by adding 15
thereto a new section to read as follows: 16
1. A board of trustees of a school district may authorize the 17
installation and use of a school bus infraction detection system in 18
school buses owned by the school district to enforce the provisions 19
of NRS 484B.353. 20
2. The board of trustees of a school district that authorizes 21
the installation and use of a school bus infraction detection 22
system: 23
(a) May enter into a contractual agreement with a third party 24
vendor to install and administer such a school bus infraction 25
detection system; and 26
(b) Shall enter into an agreement with a traffic enforcement 27
agency with jurisdiction over the location in which any school bus 28
equipped with a school bus infraction detection system operates to 29
review the evidence of any alleged infraction of NRS 484B.353 30
recorded by the school bus infraction detection system. 31
3. If a school district has not previously installed and used a 32
school bus infraction detection system the school district shall, for 33
not less than 30 days after a school bus infraction detection system 34
is placed into use by the school district: 35
(a) Conduct a public awareness campaign regarding the use of 36
school bus infraction detection systems within the school district; 37
and 38
(b) Notify the public of the specific date on which a violation 39
detected by the school bus infraction detection system will become 40
enforceable. 41
4. If, during the period the public awareness campaign 42
described in subsection 3 is conducted, a peace officer of a traffic 43
enforcement agency determines from evidence recorded by a 44
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school bus infraction detection system that a person has violated 1
NRS 484B.353, the peace officer may issue only a warning. 2
5. If, after reviewing the evidence recorded by a school bus 3
infraction detection system, a peace officer of a traffic 4
enforcement agency determines that a violation of NRS 484B.353 5
occurred in a location over which the traffic enforcement agency 6
has jurisdiction, the peace officer shall cause a civil infraction 7
citation to be issued pursuant to NRS 484A.7033 for the violation 8
to be sent by the traffic enforcement agency or its designee by first 9
class mail to the address listed with the Department for the 10
registered owner of the vehicle identified by the school bus 11
infraction detection system. A manual or automated record 12
prepared by the law enforcement agency or its designee evidencing 13
that the citation was mailed is prima facie evidence of service and 14
shall be admissible in any hearing as to the facts contained in the 15
civil infraction citation. 16
6. In addition to the information required by subsection 1 of 17
NRS 484A.7035, a civil infraction citation issued pursuant to NRS 18
484A.7033 for a violation described in subsection 5 must include: 19
(a) The date and time of the violation; 20
(b) A photograph or other recorded image produced by the 21
school bus infraction detection system, or the address of the 22
Internet website on which such an image may be viewed, showing: 23
(1) The vehicle involved in the violation; 24
(2) If a stop arm was installed on the school bus, that the 25
stop arm was extended at the time of the violation; and 26
(3) An electronic indicator evidencing that the flashing red 27
light signals of the bus were activated at the time of the violation; 28
and 29
(c) A statement summarizing the provisions of subsection 8. 30
7. To the extent practicable, a school bus infraction detection 31
system shall not record images of the occupants of a motor vehicle 32
at the time in which the images are recorded by the system. A civil 33
infraction citation issued pursuant to this section may not be 34
dismissed because a recorded video or digital image includes 35
images of the occupants of the motor vehicle. 36
8. The registered owner of a vehicle is presumed to be the 37
driver of the vehicle at the time of a violation of NRS 484B.353 38
which was recorded by a school bus infraction detection system. 39
This presumption may be rebutted if the registered owner of the 40
vehicle submits an affidavit to the traffic enforcement agency or 41
its designee or presents an affidavit as evidence at a hearing held 42
pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 484A.704 stating under penalty 43
of perjury: 44
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(a) The name and address of the person having care, custody 1
and control of the vehicle at the time of the violation; or 2
(b) That the vehicle was, at the time of the violation, stolen. 3
9. An affidavit presented as evidence pursuant to paragraph 4
(b) of subsection 8 must contain evidence that supports the 5
affidavit, including, without limitation, a police report or an 6
insurance report. 7
10. Photographs or other recorded images produced by a 8
school bus infraction detection system shall be deemed prima facie 9
evidence of a violation of NRS 484B.353 and are admissible at any 10
hearing for a citation issued for a violation detected by a school 11
bus infraction detection system pursuant to this section without 12
further authentication. In any hearing for a citation issued for a 13
violation detected by a school bus infraction detection system, 14
there is a rebuttable presumption that: 15
(a) At the time in which a violation of NRS 484B.353 was 16
detected by a school bus infraction detection system, the school 17
bus was marked and equipped with signs and signals as required 18
by law; and 19
(b) Where recorded images from a school bus infraction 20
detection system show the activation of a stop arm or flashing red 21
light signals, the school bus was stopped to receive or discharge a 22
pupil and was displaying a flashing red light signal visible from 23
the front and rear of the school bus. 24
11. The provisions of this section do not prohibit a peace 25
officer from issuing a traffic citation for a violation of any law of 26
this State for which evidence is recorded by a school bus 27
infraction detection system if the peace officer personally 28
witnesses a violation. A person who is issued a traffic citation by a 29
peace officer pursuant to this subsection must not be issued a civil 30
infraction citation based on evidence recorded by the school bus 31
infraction detection system for the same violation for which the 32
peace officer issued the person the traffic citation. 33
12. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a hearing on 34
a civil infraction citation issued pursuant to this section shall be 35
conducted in accordance with NRS 484A.7041. 36
13. A violation of NRS 484B.353 for which a civil infraction 37
citation is issued pursuant to NRS 484A.7033 for a violation 38
described in subsection 5: 39
(a) Is not a moving traffic violation under NRS 483.473; and 40
(b) Is punishable by an administrative fine in an amount set by 41
the local authority, but not less than the fine imposed pursuant to 42
NRS 484B.353. 43
14. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all 44
administrative fines assessed and collected for a violation of 45
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NRS 484B.353 through the use of a school bus infraction 1
detection system must be collected and remitted to the school 2
district in which the violation occurred. The school district shall 3
use the fines collected by this section to: 4
(a) Install, maintain or operate the school bus infraction 5
detection systems on school buses; 6
(b) Compensate a third party vendor to install, operate or 7
maintain the school bus infraction detection systems on school 8
buses; 9
(c) Support any other infrastructure or program that increases 10
the safety of transportation services for students; or 11
(d) Pay costs associated with the enforcement of violations 12
detected by a school bus infraction detection system. 13
15. On or before January 31 of each year, each school 14
district which uses a school bus infraction detection system shall 15
prepare and submit a report to the Legislature for the immediately 16
preceding year which includes, without limitation: 17
(a) The number of citations issued through the use of school 18
bus infraction detection systems; 19
(b) The total amount of revenue collected as a result of such 20
citations; and 21
(c) Any data related to the effectiveness of the use of school 22
bus infraction detection systems in reducing the number of 23
violations of NRS 434B.353. 24
16. As used in this section, “school bus infraction detection 25
system” means an electronic or digital system which produces a 26
photograph or other recorded image of a vehicle which is used as 27
evidence of a violation of NRS 484B.353 by the driver of the 28
vehicle. 29
Sec. 3. NRS 484A.600 is hereby amended to read as follows: 30
484A.600 [A] Except as otherwise provided in section 2 of 31
this act, a governmental entity and any agent thereof shall not use 32
photographic, video or digital equipment for gathering evidence to 33
be used for the issuance of a traffic citation or civil infraction 34
citation pursuant to NRS 484A.7035 for a violation of chapters 35
484A to 484E, inclusive, of NRS unless the equipment is a portable 36
camera or event recording device worn or held by a peace officer, 37
the equipment is otherwise installed temporarily or permanently 38
within a vehicle or facility of a law enforcement agency or the 39
equipment is privately owned by a nongovernmental entity. 40
Sec. 4. NRS 484A.640 is hereby amended to read as follows: 41
484A.640 1. Except for a citation issued pursuant to NRS 42
484A.700 [,] or section 2 of this act, whenever a police officer 43
makes an arrest or issues a citation to a person for any violation of 44
chapters 484A to 484E, inclusive, of NRS, the police officer shall 45
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record the name as given by that person, the number of the person’s 1
driver’s license and a brief description of the person’s physical 2
appearance. This information must be maintained in a record for 3
offenses kept at the traffic enforcement agency which employs that 4
officer. 5
2. Whenever a police officer stops a driver of a motor vehicle 6
for any violation of chapters 484A to 484E, inclusive, of NRS and 7
requests information from a traffic enforcement agency concerning 8
that person’s record of prior offenses, the police officer shall 9
compare not only the driver’s name but also the number of his or her 10
driver’s license and physical description with any information 11
obtained from the agency as a result of the request. If the 12
information received from the agency indicates that the driver’s 13
name is on an outstanding warrant for a prior offense, the officer 14
shall not arrest the driver for that prior offense unless the additional 15
information used for comparison also connects the driver with that 16
prior offense. 17
Sec. 4.5. NRS 484A.703 is hereby amended to read as 18
follows: 19
484A.703 1. [Every] Except for a citation issued for a 20
violation detected by a school bus infraction detection system 21
pursuant to section 2 of this act, every traffic enforcement agency 22
in this State shall provide in appropriate form civil infraction 23
citations containing notice of the civil infraction which must meet 24
the requirements of NRS 484A.703 to 484A.705, inclusive, and be: 25
(a) Issued in books; or 26
(b) Available through an electronic device used to prepare such 27
citations. 28
2. The chief administrative officer of each traffic enforcement 29
agency is responsible for the issuance of such books and electronic 30
devices and shall maintain a record of each book, each electronic 31
device and each civil infraction citation issued to individual 32
members of the traffic enforcement agency. The chief administrative 33
officer shall require and retain a receipt for every book and 34
electronic device that is issued. 35
Sec. 5. NRS 484A.704 is hereby amended to read as follows: 36
484A.704 1. Any person who receives a civil infraction 37
citation pursuant to NRS 484A.7035 or 484A.7049 or section 2 of 38
this act shall respond to the citation as provided in this section not 39
later than 90 calendar days after the date on which the citation is 40
issued. 41
2. If a person receiving a civil infraction citation does not 42
contest the determination that the person has committed the civil 43
infraction set forth in the citation, the person must respond to the 44
citation by indicating that the person does not contest the 45
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determination and submitting full payment of the monetary penalty, 1
the administrative assessment and any fees to the court specified in 2
the citation, or its traffic violations bureau, in person, by mail or 3
through the Internet or other electronic means. 4
3. If a person receiving a civil infraction citation wishes to 5
contest the determination that the person has committed the civil 6
infraction set forth in the citation, the person must respond by 7
requesting in person, by mail or through the Internet or other 8
electronic means a hearing for that purpose. The court shall notify 9
the person in writing of the time, place and date of the hearing, 10
but the date of the hearing must not be earlier than 9 calendar days 11
after the court provides notice of the hearing. 12
4. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, not less 13
than 30 days before the deadline for a person to respond to a civil 14
infraction citation, the court must send to the address or electronic 15
mail address of the person, as indicated on the civil infraction 16
citation issued to the person, a reminder that the person must 17
respond to the civil infraction citation within 90 calendar days after 18
the date on which the civil infraction citation is issued. If the person 19
agreed to receive communications relating to the civil infraction by 20
text message, the court may send such a notice to the telephone 21
number of the person as indicated on the civil infraction citation. If 22
the person does not respond to the civil infraction citation in the 23
manner specified by subsection 2 or 3 within 90 calendar days after 24
the date on which the civil infraction citation is issued, the court 25
must enter an order pursuant to NRS 484A.7043 finding that the 26
person committed the civil infraction and assessing the monetary 27
penalty and administrative assessments prescribed for the civil 28
infraction. A person who has been issued a civil infraction citation 29
and who fails to respond to the civil infraction citation as required 30
by this section may not appeal an order entered pursuant to this 31
section. 32
5. If any person issued a civil infraction citation fails to appear 33
at a hearing requested pursuant to subsection 3, the court must enter 34
an order pursuant to NRS 484A.7043 finding that the person 35
committed the civil infraction and assessing the monetary penalty 36
and administrative assessments prescribed for the civil infraction. A 37
person who has been issued a civil infraction citation and who fails 38
to appear at a hearing requested pursuant to subsection 3 may not 39
appeal an order entered pursuant to this subsection. 40
6. In addition to any other penalty imposed, any person who is 41
found by the court to have committed a civil infraction pursuant to 42
subsection 5 shall pay the witness fees, per diem allowances, travel 43
expenses and other reimbursement in accordance with NRS 50.225. 44
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7. If a court has established a system pursuant to NRS 1
484A.615, any person issued a civil infraction citation may, if 2
authorized by the court, use the system to perform any applicable 3
actions pursuant to this section. 4
Sec. 6. NRS 484B.353 is hereby amended to read as follows: 5
484B.353 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, 6
the driver of any vehicle, when meeting or overtaking, from either 7
direction, any school bus, equipped with signs and signals required 8
by law, which has stopped to receive or discharge any pupil and is 9
displaying a flashing red light signal visible from the front and rear, 10
shall bring the vehicle to an immediate stop and shall not attempt to 11
overtake or proceed past the school bus until the flashing red signal 12
ceases operation. 13
2. The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway need not 14
stop upon meeting or passing a school bus which is positioned in the 15
other roadway. The driver of a vehicle need not stop upon meeting 16
or passing a school bus where traffic is controlled by a traffic 17
officer. 18
3. [Any] Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, any 19
person who violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of 20
a misdemeanor and: 21
(a) For a third or any subsequent offense within 2 years after the 22
most recent offense, shall be punished by a fine of not more than 23
$1,000 and the driver’s license of the person must be suspended for 24
not more than 1 year. 25
(b) For a second offense within 1 year after the first offense, 26
shall be punished by a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $500 27
and the driver’s license of the person must be suspended for 6 28
months. 29
(c) For a first offense or any subsequent offense for which a 30
punishment is not provided for in paragraph (a) or (b), shall be 31
punished by a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $500. 32
4. A police officer may issue a civil infraction citation to any 33
person who violates any of the provisions of this section detected 34
by a school bus infraction detection system pursuant to section 2 35
of this act. 36
Sec. 6.5. The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 218D.380 do 37
not apply to any provision of this act which adds or revises a 38
requirement to submit a report to the Legislature. 39
Sec. 7. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 40
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