Woodbridge, Va. –– There’s a lot of meaning in the two-letter word “at.”
A bill by Del. Richard Anderson (R-51) adds the word to an existing law passed in the 1970s that mandates drivers stop at school buses.
Without the word, some judges interpreted the law literally to where drivers must stop school buses, not stop “at” school buses.
Some drivers who failed to stop at a stopped school bus loading or unloading children were let off the hook because of the loophole, said Anderson.
The new law takes effect immediately unlike other bills signed into law which take affect July 1.
“I was pleased to patron this legislation to ensure that our children are safe on their trips to and from school. Parents expect us to take care of their students from the time they leave home and until they return. This bill does just that,” said Anderson in a press release.
Anderson drafted the bill and filed it with the house clerk’s office, but it was similar to another bill by Del. Scott Surovell (D-44).
Surovell’s bill was absorbed into Anderson’s bill and both freshman delegates worked together to pass the legislation.
