LRB-0181/1
EVM:jld:jf
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
July 31, 2013 - Introduced by Senators Petrowski, Hansen, Kedzie, Lassa,
Lehman, Olsen, Schultz and L. Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Ripp,
Bernard Schaber, Brooks, Krug, Murphy, Ohnstad, A. Ott, Smith, Tittl,
Weatherston and Wright. Referred to Committee on Transportation, Public
Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs.
SB239,1,4 1An Act to renumber and amend 346.48 (2) (a); to amend 110.064 (1) (b), 343.12
2(1) (b), 346.48 (2) (b) (intro.), 346.48 (2) (bm), 346.48 (2) (c), 346.48 (3), 346.51
3(1) (a), 347.25 (2), 349.21 (1) and 349.21 (2); and to create 346.48 (2) (a) 2. and
4346.48 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes; relating to: warning lights on school buses.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, a school bus must be equipped with a 360-degree flashing
white strobe light and flashing red warning lights. The operator of a school bus must
activate the flashing red warning lights at least 100 feet before stopping to load or
unload pupils and extinguish the lights only when loading or unloading is completed
and persons who must cross the highway are safely across. Also under current law,
the driver of a vehicle approaching a school bus that is stopped on a highway and that
is displaying flashing red warning lights must stop the vehicle not less than 20 feet
from the bus and remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or the bus driver
extinguishes the lights. A person who violates this requirement may be required to
forfeit not less than $30 nor more than $300.
Under this bill, a school bus must be equipped with a 360-degree flashing white
strobe light and either flashing red warning lights or flashing red and amber
warning lights. Also under the bill, when stopping to load or unload pupils, the
operator of a school bus equipped with only flashing red warning lights must follow
the signal activation and extinguishing rules currently provided. The operator of a
school bus equipped with flashing red and amber warning lights, however, must: 1)
activate the amber lights at least 300 feet before stopping in a 45 mile per hour or

greater speed zone or at least 100 feet before stopping in a less than 45 mile per hour
speed zone; 2) at the point of loading or unloading, bring the bus to a stop, extinguish
the amber lights, and activate the red lights; and 3) after loading or unloading is
completed and persons who must cross the highway are safely across, extinguish the
red lights.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB239,1 1Section 1. 110.064 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,2,102 110.064 (1) (b) The department shall promulgate and enforce a rule requiring
3that a motor bus under par. (a) satisfy safety standards providing an equivalent level
4of safety as the safety standards specified by the department for a school bus having
5the same gross vehicle weight rating and operation standards specifying that the
6rear door of a motor bus under par. (a) may not be used for the entry or exit of pupils,
7except in an emergency, except that the department may not promulgate a rule which
8is in conflict with federal law, which requires the motor bus to be painted in
9accordance with s. 347.44 (1), or which requires the motor bus to be equipped with
10flashing red or flashing red and amber warning lights as specified in s. 347.25 (2).
SB239,2 11Section 2. 343.12 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,2,1812 343.12 (1) (b) A motor bus registered in compliance with s. 341.26 (7) and
13equipped as provided under ss. 347.25 (2) and 347.44 but not transporting children
14for any purpose is not a school bus within the meaning of this subsection while being
15used on a highway for purposes other than those specified in s. 340.01 (56) (a) or (am)
16if the flashing red or flashing red and amber warning lights are not used and all
17markings on the front and rear of the motor bus indicating that it is a school bus are
18removed or completely concealed.
SB239,3
1Section 3. 346.48 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 346.48 (2) (a) 1. and
2amended to read:
SB239,3,103 346.48 (2) (a) 1. Except as provided in par. (b), the operator of a school bus
4equipped with only flashing red warning lights as specified in s. 347.25 (2) shall
5actuate such the lights at least 100 feet before stopping to load or unload pupils or
6other authorized passengers, and shall not extinguish such the lights until loading
7or unloading is completed and persons who must cross the highway are safely across.
8Where the curb and sidewalk are laid on one side of the road only, the operator shall
9use the flashing red warning lights when loading or unloading passengers from
10either side.
SB239,4 11Section 4. 346.48 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB239,3,1512 346.48 (2) (a) 2. Except as provided in par. (b), the operator of a school bus
13equipped with flashing red and amber warning lights as specified in s. 347.25 (2)
14shall do all of the following when stopping to load or unload pupils or other
15authorized passengers:
SB239,3,1816 a. Actuate the flashing amber warning lights at least 300 feet before stopping
17in a 45 miles per hour or greater speed zone or at least 100 feet before stopping in a
18less than 45 mile per hour speed zone.
SB239,3,2019 b. At the point of loading or unloading, bring the bus to a stop, extinguish the
20flashing amber warning lights, and actuate the flashing red warning lights.
SB239,3,2221 c. After loading or unloading is completed and persons who must cross the
22highway are safely across, extinguish the flashing red warning lights.
SB239,5 23Section 5. 346.48 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
SB239,4,3
1346.48 (2) (a) 3. Where the curb and sidewalk are laid on one side of the road
2only, the operator shall use the flashing red or flashing red and amber warning lights
3when loading or unloading passengers from either side.
SB239,6 4Section 6. 346.48 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,4,65 346.48 (2) (b) (intro.) School bus operators shall not use the flashing red or
6amber
warning lights in:
SB239,7 7Section 7. 346.48 (2) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,4,148 346.48 (2) (bm) Except as provided in par. (b) 2. or unless prohibited by
9municipal ordinance enacted under s. 349.21 (2), a school bus operator shall use the
10flashing red or amber warning lights as provided in par. (a) in a zone designated by
11"school" warning signs as provided in s. 118.08 (1) in which a street or highway
12borders the grounds of a school when pupils or other authorized passengers are
13loaded or unloaded directly from or onto the school grounds or that portion of the
14right-of-way between the roadway and the school grounds.
SB239,8 15Section 8. 346.48 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,4,2416 346.48 (2) (c) When a school bus is being used on a highway for purposes other
17than those specified in s. 340.01 (56) (a) and (am), the flashing red or amber warning
18lights shall not be used, and all markings on the front and rear of the bus indicating
19it is a school bus shall be removed or completely concealed; except that any time a
20motor vehicle is equipped as provided under ss. 347.25 (2) and 347.44 and is
21transporting children for any purpose, the school bus markings may remain
22unconcealed and the flashing red signals or amber warning lights may be used as
23provided in this section and when so used, sub. (1) applies to operators of other motor
24vehicles.
SB239,9 25Section 9. 346.48 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,5,6
1346.48 (3) If the operator of a motor vehicle overtakes a school bus which is
2stopped and is loading or unloading pupils or other authorized passengers at an
3intersection on the right side of a roadway in a business or residence district in which
4the display of the flashing red or amber warning lights on the school bus is not
5permitted, the operator shall pass at a safe distance to the left of the school bus and
6shall not turn to the right in front of the school bus at that intersection.
SB239,10 7Section 10. 346.51 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,5,128 346.51 (1) (a) An unobstructed width of at least 15 feet upon the roadway of
9such highway must be left opposite such standing vehicle for the free passage of other
10vehicles. This section shall not apply to a school bus when the school bus is loading
11or unloading pupils or other authorized passengers where red flashing signal red
12warning
lights are used as required by s. 346.48 (2).
SB239,11 13Section 11. 347.25 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,5,2114 347.25 (2) No person may operate a school bus which is painted as provided in
15s. 347.44 unless it is equipped with flashing red signals and with a 360-degree
16flashing white strobe light having a flashrate of 60 to 120 per minute and either
17flashing red warning lights or flashing red and amber warning lights
. The secretary
18shall prescribe rules for the type, installation, operation and light output brilliance
19of the signals and lights required under this subsection. No vehicle may be equipped
20with such flashing red signals and a the warning and strobe light lights required
21under this subsection
unless it also is painted as provided in s. 347.44.
SB239,12 22Section 12. 349.21 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,6,323 349.21 (1) The governing body of any town, city, village or county may by
24ordinance provide for the use of flashing red or amber warning lights by school bus
25operators in a residence or business district when pupils or other authorized

1passengers are to be loaded or unloaded at a location at which there are no traffic
2signals and such persons must cross the street or highway before being loaded or
3after being unloaded.
SB239,13 4Section 13. 349.21 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB239,6,115 349.21 (2) The governing body of any town, city, village or county may, by
6ordinance, prohibit the use of flashing red or amber warning lights by school bus
7operators when pupils or other authorized passengers are loaded or unloaded
8directly from or onto the school grounds or that portion of the right-of-way between
9the roadway and the school grounds in a zone designated by "school" warning signs
10as provided in s. 118.08 (1) in which a street or highway borders the grounds of a
11school.
SB239,6,1212 (End)
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