KSHB 41 News reporter Marlon Martinez has been covering this topic for several months. If you have a story idea, send Marlon an email.
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Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed multiple bills into law that prioritize public safety for Missourians, including a bill that increases penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.
On Thursday, Gov. Kehoe signed House Bills 1740, 1839 and 2593, and Senate Bills 975, 1421 and 1572.
"The legislation I signed today strengthens the laws that protect our families, supports the men and women who serve our country and communities, and gives our state stronger tools to keep dangerous criminals off our streets," Gov. Kehoe said in a press release. "Public safety will always be this administration’s top priority."
KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez has been following the progression of the push to address stop-arm violations since 2025 — he has even been credited with shining a light on the issue by Missouri House Rep. Mike Jones, who sponsored SB 1421.
KSHB 41’s COVERAGE | School bus safety across Kansas City
The language from the stop-arm bill was added to the broader public safety package sponsored by Rep. Jones and Missouri Sen. Nick Schroer.
With Gov. Kehoe’s signature, the law will strengthen penalties and enforcement for those who fail to stop for school bus stop arms.
"Any driver who fails to stop for a school bus while it is receiving or discharging children and whose driver has, in the manner prescribed by law given the signal to stop, and the failure to stop results in the physical injury of a child shall be guilty of a class E felony. If the failure results in a serious physical injury, the driver shall be guilty of a class D felony," per the bill summary.
The bill summary also states that a person guilty of a first offense will receive a fine of at least $500 and no more than $1,000.
There are mandatory fine increases for second, third and subsequent offenses within a five-year time period.
Additionally, SB 1421 includes updates to drug trafficking charge requirements, and it orders the Missouri Division of Fire Safety to create consistent and modern statewide fire standards for facilities inspected by the state, according to a press release.
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