Shapiro Administration Reports School Bus Violations
A one-day statewide operation recorded nearly 200 school bus stopping violations, and new state law raises penalties for illegal passing.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Administration
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The Shapiro administration released results of Operation Safe Stop, a one-day school bus safety initiative in which 89 law enforcement agencies and 14 school districts documented nearly 200 violations of Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law. Governor Shapiro also signed Act 89, which imposes greater fines and increased penalties for illegally passing school buses.
Why it matters
Participants documented an increase of 12 violations since 2025, prompting stronger enforcement and a tougher legal framework. The new law also requires drivers to stop at least 15 feet before a school bus with an active stop sign, up from 10 feet, to better protect students.
Pennsylvania's Act 89 requires drivers to stop at least 15 feet before a school bus with an active stop sign, up from the previous 10 feet. Operation Safe Stop involved 89 law enforcement agencies and 14 school districts, though the results do not yet show what share of violations resulted in penalties.
The players
Josh Shapiro
Josh Shapiro is the Governor of Pennsylvania, who signed Act 89 into law and announced the Operation Safe Stop results.
PennDOT
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation administers the School Bus Safety Grant Program that funded driver training for 26 schools and transportation providers.
The details
Operation Safe Stop targeted violations of Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law through a single day of coordinated enforcement and documentation. Act 89 raises fines and penalties for illegally passing school buses, and its provisions will take effect in October 2027.
Timeline
June 2026: A Governor's Highway Safety Association survey found 46% of parents with bus-riding children reported a close call near a school bus or school zone.
July 2026: PennDOT invested more than $1.1 million to help 26 schools and transportation providers in 19 counties cover training for new school bus drivers.
November 9, 2026: The Shapiro administration released Operation Safe Stop results.
October 2027: Act 89 provisions take effect.
Legal Context
Act 89 builds on Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law by strengthening penalties and extending the required stopping distance from 10 feet to 15 feet. The statewide operation's rise of 12 violations since 2025 places the enforcement effort within the existing framework of that law.
Drivers in Pennsylvania should stop at least 15 feet before any school bus with an active stop sign, as the required distance is now longer than before. Penalties for illegally passing school buses will become heavier once Act 89 takes effect in October 2027.
The takeaway
Drivers who give school buses extra room and stop early are following the expanded rule that Act 89 now makes law. Staying alert near school zones protects children boarding and leaving buses every school day.
What happens next
Act 89 provisions will take effect in October 2027, when the stricter fines and the 15-foot stopping requirement become enforceable.
Further reading
Explore more on Administration to see how state and district policies like these are carried out.
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