SC House OKs higher fines for passing stopped school buses

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – The South Carolina House has approved a bill that increases the penalties for passing a stopped school bus and requires all buses to have longer stop sign arms to extend across a lane of traffic. The bill approved on a 101-8 vote Wednesday also gives the state Education Superintendent the power to move a bus stop if she thinks it is in a dangerous location. The proposal now heads to the Senate. The current minimum fine for passing a stopped school bus is $500. The bill increases the minimum fine to $1,000 for a first offense and $2,500 for later offenses. It will cost more than $10 million to buy new, longer stop arms for all school buses.