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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Lauren Rooney |
State Rep. Tim Solobay State Rep. Don Walko D-Allegheny
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Walko, Solobay offer ‘sound’ school bus safety bill
Proposed legislation would allow audio taping of students
HARRISBURG, March 15 – Many school districts across Pennsylvania have installed video cameras in their school buses to allow them to keep a better eye on the activities of students being transported to and from school. State Reps. Don Walko, D-Allegheny, and Tim Solobay, D-Washington, would like to give that watchdog ears and have introduced legislation (H.B. 797) that would allow for audio taping on school buses in Pennsylvania.
“Right now, school districts can use only video monitors on school buses, and there have been questions raised as to whether adding audio taping would violate the state’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act,” Walko said. “This common-sense legislation would clear up that confusion.”
“School bus drivers should be allowed to keep their eyes and attention on the road. They shouldn’t turn around to see what’s going on in the back of the bus,” Solobay said. “By adding audio to the video surveillance, drivers and district officials would have a better handle on any shenanigans that might be going on and stop them before they get out of hand and create an unsafe situation.”
Under this bill, school districts would be allowed to intercept audio communications for disciplinary or security purposes on a school bus or school vehicle if the school board:
- adopts a policy authorizing audio interception on buses or school vehicles;
- notifies students and parents by mail each year of the policy;
- posts a clearly visible notice in each vehicle equipped with audio taping equipment that students may be audio taped;
The wiretapping exemption would only apply when the vehicle is being used to transport school children. Audio taping would not be permissible if, for example, a group of senior citizens rents a school bus to attend a function.
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