This bill also extends the period in which a report of a failure-to-stop violation
may be made from 24 hours after the violation to 72 hours after the violation and
extends the period in which a traffic officer may prepare a traffic violation from 48
hours after receiving a report to five days after receiving a report.
In general, it is not a defense to owner liability that the owner of the vehicle was
not operating the vehicle at the time of the violation. Current law, however, provides
several defenses for imposing liability for which the identity of the party operating
the vehicle is a relevant consideration, including a defense under which the owner
has provided a traffic officer with the name and address of the person operating the
vehicle at the time of the violation and the person admits to operating the vehicle at
the time of the violation. This bill mitigates the applicable penalty if the state is
unable to demonstrate that the owner was operating the vehicle at the time of the
violation. Specifically, if the state is unable to make this showing, the minimum and
maximum forfeiture amounts are half of the minimum and maximum forfeiture
amounts that would otherwise be imposed.
This bill also creates a school bus safety camera surcharge. Under the bill, each
person who is convicted of a failure-to-stop violation must pay a $200 surcharge in
addition to any forfeiture and other surcharges, fees, and costs imposed as a result
of the violation.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB998,1 1Section 1. 85.56 of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,3,4 285.56 School bus camera grant program. (1) In this section, “camera
3system” means a video camera and any other component necessary to facilitate the
4capture and storage of images captured by the video camera.
SB998,3,6 5(2) (a) The department shall establish and administer a school bus camera
6grant program. Subject to sub. (3), the department shall award the following grants:
SB998,3,97 1. To school districts for the acquisition and installation of camera systems
8installed on school buses for the purpose of capturing images of violations of s. 346.48
9or 346.485.
SB998,3,1310 2. To school districts for the maintenance or replacement of camera systems
11installed on school buses for the purpose of capturing images of violations of s. 346.48
12or 346.485 or for the acquisition or installation of camera systems installed on school
13buses for the purpose of capturing images of violations of s. 346.48 or 346.485.
SB998,3,1714 (b) The department shall prescribe the form, nature, and extent of information
15that shall be contained in applications for grants under this section and, subject to
16sub. (3), shall establish criteria for evaluating applications and for awarding grants
17under this section.
SB998,3,20 18(3) (a) 1. The amount of a grant under sub. (2) may not exceed $5,000 for each
19school bus to be equipped with a camera system or for each school bus equipped with
20a camera system to be maintained or replaced.
SB998,4,2
12. A grant under sub. (2) may not exceed 90 percent of the cost of the project
2for which the grant is made.
SB998,4,63 (b) 1. The department shall award grants under sub. (2) only to applicants who
4agree to use the grant money for camera systems installed in such a manner so as
5to facilitate the capture of images with sufficient information to allow the citation of
6persons who violate s. 346.48 or 346.485.
SB998,4,107 2. Upon request, the department shall provide assistance to school districts in
8the selection, location, and installation of camera systems on school buses so as to
9facilitate the capture of images with sufficient information to allow the citation of
10persons who violate s. 346.48 or 346.485.
SB998,4,1211 (c) In awarding grants under sub. (2) 1., the department shall prioritize the
12following:
SB998,4,1313 1. Providing at least one grant to each applicant school district.
SB998,4,1514 2. Equipping the largest number of school buses with camera systems that
15satisfy the requirements of par. (b).
SB998,4,1916 (d) Any school district receiving its first grant under sub. (2) (a) 1. shall ensure
17that the school bus equipped using the grant money is equipped with a camera
18system that includes cameras capturing images in the bus's direction of travel and
19opposite to the bus's direction of travel on both the left and right sides of the bus.
SB998,2 20Section 2 . 346.485 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 346.485 (2) (am).
SB998,3 21Section 3 . 346.485 (2) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,5,222 346.485 (2) (bm) If an owner or operator of a school bus believes that a violation
23of s. 346.48 (1) is demonstrated by a recording made by a photographic or video
24system equipped to the school bus, the owner or operator may prepare a report
25indicating that a violation has occurred. The report shall include a copy of the

1recording that the owner or operator believes demonstrates a violation of s. 346.48
2(1).
SB998,4 3Section 4 . 346.485 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB998,5,124 346.485 (3) Within 24 72 hours after observing the observation of the violation,
5for a report under sub. (2) (am), or within 72 hours after the recording of the violation,
6for a report under sub. (2) (bm),
the school bus operator or owner may deliver the a
7report under sub. (2) to a traffic officer of the county or municipality in which the
8violation occurred. A report which under sub. (2) (am) that does not contain all the
9information in sub. (2) (am) 1. to 3. or a report under sub. (2) (bm) that does not
10provide sufficient information to allow the issuance of a traffic citation
shall
11nevertheless be delivered and shall be maintained by the county or municipality for
12statistical purposes.
SB998,5 13Section 5 . 346.485 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB998,5,1814 346.485 (4) (a) Within 48 hours 5 days after receiving a report under sub. (2)
15(am)
containing all the information in sub. (2) (am) 1. to 3. or a report under sub. (2)
16(bm) that provides sufficient information to allow the issuance of a traffic citation
,
17the traffic officer may prepare a uniform traffic citation under s. 345.11 and may
18personally serve it upon the owner of the vehicle.
SB998,6 19Section 6. 346.49 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 346.49 (3) (a) and amended
20to read:
SB998,5,2321 346.49 (3) (a) A Except as provided under par. (b), a vehicle owner or other
22person found liable under s. 346.485 or 346.457 may be required to forfeit not less
23than $30 nor more than $300.
SB998,6,2 24(c) Imposition of liability under s. 346.485 or 346.457 shall not result in
25suspension or revocation of a person's operating license under s. 343.30, nor shall it

1result in demerit points being recorded on a person's driving record under s. 343.32
2(2) (a).
SB998,7 3Section 7. 346.49 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,6,74 346.49 (3) (b) Notwithstanding s. 346.485 (5) (a), if the state cannot
5demonstrate that the owner was operating the vehicle at the time the violation under
6s. 346.485 occurred, the minimum and maximum forfeitures under par. (a) are
7halved.
SB998,8 8Section 8. 346.496 of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,6,12 9346.496 School bus safety camera surcharge. (1) If a court imposes a fine
10or a forfeiture for a violation of s. 346.48 or 346.485, or a local ordinance in conformity
11therewith, it shall impose a school bus safety camera surcharge under ch. 814 in an
12amount of $200.
SB998,6,16 13(2) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the clerk of court shall collect and transmit
14the amount of the school bus safety camera surcharge under sub. (1) to the county
15treasurer as provided in s. 59.40 (2) (m). The county treasurer shall then make
16payment to the secretary of administration as provided in s. 59.25 (3) (f) 2.
SB998,6,2017 (b) If the forfeiture is imposed by a municipal court, the court shall transmit
18the amount of the school bus safety camera surcharge under sub. (1) to the treasurer
19of the county, city, town, or village, and that treasurer shall make payment to the
20secretary of administration as provided in s. 66.0114 (1) (bm).
SB998,6,2221 (c) The secretary of administration shall deposit all amounts received under
22this subsection in the general fund.
SB998,9 23Section 9. 814.75 (28) of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,6,2424 814.75 (28) The school bus safety camera surcharge under s. 346.496.
SB998,10 25Section 10. 814.78 (13) of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,7,1
1814.78 (13) The school bus safety camera surcharge under s. 346.496.
SB998,11 2Section 11. 814.79 (11) of the statutes is created to read:
SB998,7,33 814.79 (11) The school bus safety camera surcharge under s. 346.496.
SB998,12 4Section 12. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB998,7,65 (1) Not later than 60 days after the effective date of this subsection, the
6department of transportation shall inform each school district of all of the following:
SB998,7,77 (a) The availability of grants under s. 85.56.
SB998,7,88 (b) The procedure for applying for grants under s. 85.56.
SB998,7,119 (2) Not later than 30 days after receiving notice under sub. (1), a school district
10shall provide the information received from the department of transportation to each
11person from which the school district obtains busing service.
SB998,7,1212 (End)
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