Increased fines and penalties for not stopping at school buses loading and unloading children

Missouri House Bill 2742, sponsored by Rep Mike Jones passed on the final day of the 2026 legislature session. HB 2742 targets school bus safety by increasing penalties for improperly passing a stopped school bus and authorizing the use of automated safety cameras on buses.  It has been sent to Governor Kehoe. 

“This bill helps us better protect our children at the bus stop by establishing minimum penalties for those who illegally pass a stopped school bus while children are loading and unloading.”  - Rep Mike Jones

Drivers failing to yield for stopped school buses is a common occurrence with thousands of incidents each year in Missouri. The Platte County R-3 School District in the Kansas City area logged over 350 violations during a single school year (KCTV5).

Missouri drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses will face steeper penalties including mandatory fines and suspension of drivers license when passing stopped school buses loading and unloading children. 

Currently, a person is guilty of a class A misdemeanor if they pass a stopped school bus in the process of loading or unloading students; the person is guilty of a class E felony if the offense results in the injury of any child; and a class D felony if the offense results in the death of any child. The court can order the suspension of a person's license for 90 days after a first offense and 120 days after a second or subsequent offense. These suspensions are in addition to other suspensions for other violations of law.

Increased fines for repeat offenders.  A person who is found guilty of a first offense will receive a fine of at least $500 (currently about $130) and no more than $1,000. The mandatory fine increases for second, third and subsequent offenses within a five-year range — a second offense results in a fine of at least $1,000 and no more than $2,000; third or subsequent offenses face a fine of at least $1,500 and no more than $3,000.

The Missouri legislative session ended May 15. 80 bills passed and have been sent to Governor Kehoe.  He has until July 15 to sign bills into law, veto them or allow them to become law without a signature.  The Governor can also issue line-item vetoes on budget bills. The General Assembly gets a chance to override any vetoes during the September 16 annual veto session.  A two-thirds vote in both the state house and senate would be required for an override.

Most bills signed by the Governor will take effect on August 28, 2026.