---
title: HB 879. Motor vehicles; penalty for violations captured by school bus camera; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb879
cite_as: HB 879, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb879
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb879.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb879/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71846
date: 2025-04-02
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb878.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb880.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb879.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 879
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-28
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Don Parsons
  - Matt Barton
  - Derrick McCollum
  - Alan Powell
  - Mitchell Scoggins
  - Matthew Gambill
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB879/2025
upstream_id: 2016612
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - school bus safety
  - traffic penalties
  - school bus cameras
  - school safety funding
  - motor vehicle law
---

# HB 879. Motor vehicles; penalty for violations captured by school bus camera; provisions

## Text

25 LC 39 4809
House Bill 879
By: Representatives Parsons of the 44th, Barton of the 5th, McCollum of the 30th, Powell of
the 33rd, Scoggins of the 14th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 40-6-163 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to duty1
of driver of vehicle meeting or overtaking school bus, reportin g of violations, and civil2
monetary penalty for violations captured by school bus camera, so as to revise penalties; to3
authorize alteration or suspension of such penalty; to provide for obtaining motor vehicle4
owner information from the Department of Revenue; to provide for a conspicuous statement5
of the right to contest such penalty in court in the mailing sent to a motor vehicle owner; to6
provide for the allocation of money collected; to provide for r elated matters; to repeal7
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9
SECTION 1.10
Code Section 40-6-163 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to duty of driver11
of vehicle meeting or overtaking school bus, reporting of viola tions, and civil monetary12
penalty for violations captured by school bus camera, is amended by revising subsection (a),13
subparagraphs (d)(3)(A) and (d)(3)(B), and paragraph (15) of subsection (d) as follows:14
"(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, the driver of a vehicle15
meeting or overtaking from either direction any school bus stopped on the highway shall16
H. B. 879
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25 LC 39 4809
stop before reaching such school bus when there are in operatio n on the school bus the17
visual signals as specified in Code Sections 40-8-111 and 40-8-115, and such driver shall18
not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the visual s ignals are no longer19
actuated. A violation of this subsection for which a driver has been issued a uniform traffic20
citation shall be punished as for a high and aggravated misdemeanor and upon conviction21
thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500.00 but not more than $1,000.0022
or by confinement for not more than 12 months, or both."23
"(A) The owner of a motor vehicle shall be liable for a civil m onetary penalty to the24
governing body of the law enforcement agency provided for in subparagraph (B) of this25
paragraph if such vehicle is found, as evidenced by recorded im ages, to have been26
operated in disregard or disobedience of subsection (a) of this Code section and such27
disregard or disobedience was not otherwise authorized by law. The amount of such28
civil monetary penalty shall be not less than $500.00 but not m ore than $1,000.00;29
provided, however, that any court determining liability under this subsection shall be30
authorized to amend, modify, alter, suspend, or probate such civil monetary penalty;31
(B) The law enforcement agency authorized to enforce the provi sions of this Code32
section shall send by first class mail addressed to the owner o f the motor vehicle not33
later than ten days after obtaining the name and address of the owner of the motor34
vehicle from the records of the Department of Revenue:35
(i) A citation for the alleged violation, which shall include the date and time of the36
violation, the location of the infraction, the amount of the ci vil monetary penalty37
imposed, and the date by which the civil monetary penalty shall be paid;38
(ii) An image taken from the recorded image showing the vehicl e involved in the39
infraction;40
(iii) A copy of a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a certified peace officer employed41
by a law enforcement agency authorized to enforce this Code section and stating that,42
based upon inspection of recorded images, the owner's motor veh icle was operated43
H. B. 879
- 2 -
25 LC 39 4809
in disregard or disobedience of subsection (a) of this Code sec tion and that such44
disregard or disobedience was not otherwise authorized by law;45
(iv) A statement of the inference provided by subparagraph (D) of this paragraph and46
of the means specified therein by which such inference may be rebutted;47
(v) Information advising the owner of the motor vehicle of the manner and time in48
which liability as alleged in the citation may be contested in court, including the49
following statement in at least 12 point font in a conspicuous location on the front of50
the first page of such mailing: 'YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO CONTEST TH IS51
PENALTY IN COURT'; and52
(vi) A warning that failure to pay the civil monetary penalty or to contest liability in53
a timely manner shall waive any right to contest liability and result in a civil monetary54
penalty;"55
"(15)(A) As used in this paragraph, the term 'school safety purposes' means activities56
incident to the establishment, procurement, or maintenance of safety measures within57
public or private elementary or secondary schools that enhance and ensure the58
protection of students, staff, and visitors to such a school, including, but not limited to,59
access control systems, communication systems, cyber security m easures, perimeter60
security systems, surveillance systems, visitor management syst ems, employment of61
crossing guards, and safety protocol training. Such purposes m ay further include62
mental health support services in collaboration with law enforcement to address safety63
concerns proactively.64
(B) The money collected and remitted to the governing body pursua nt to65
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of this subsection shall only be used by such66
governing body to fund local law enforcement or public safety initiatives be allocated67
by such governing body equally among all schools within the jur isdiction of the68
governing body for school safety purposes . This paragraph shall not preclude the69
appropriation of a greater amount than collected and remitted under this subsection."70
H. B. 879
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25 LC 39 4809
SECTION 2.71
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.72
H. B. 879
- 4 -

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

House Bill 879 would rewrite Georgia's school bus camera law, changing how civil penalties for passing a stopped school bus are set, requiring a clear notice of the right to contest the ticket in court, and changing how the money collected gets spent.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia law already lets cameras on school buses catch drivers who illegally pass a stopped bus, with the vehicle's owner facing a civil penalty. HB879 amends O.C.G.A. section 40-6-163 to adjust how that penalty works. It keeps the criminal fine for a driver who gets a traffic citation at $500 to $1,000 (or up to 12 months in jail, or both) as a high and aggravated misdemeanor, and sets the same $500 to $1,000 range for the civil penalty charged to a vehicle's owner when a camera catches the violation, while letting a court reduce, suspend, or put that penalty on probation.
The bill requires law enforcement to get the vehicle owner's name and address from the Department of Revenue and to mail the owner a citation, a photo, a sworn officer certificate, and a clear statement in at least 12 point font telling the owner they have the right to contest the penalty in court. It also changes how collected penalty money must be spent: instead of funding local law enforcement or public safety initiatives, the money must be divided equally among all schools in the jurisdiction for school safety purposes such as security systems, crossing guards, and safety training.

### What it does

- Keeps the criminal fine for drivers cited for illegally passing a stopped school bus at $500 to $1,000, with up to 12 months of confinement, as a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
- Sets the civil monetary penalty for vehicle owners caught by school bus cameras at $500 to $1,000, while letting a court amend, modify, alter, suspend, or probate that penalty.
- Requires law enforcement to obtain the vehicle owner's name and address from the Department of Revenue before mailing a citation.
- Requires the mailed citation to include a conspicuous statement in at least 12 point font that the owner has the right to contest the penalty in court.
- Changes how penalty money collected must be used: instead of local law enforcement or public safety initiatives, it must be split equally among all schools in the jurisdiction for school safety purposes.
- Expands the definition of school safety purposes to include measures like access control, cybersecurity, visitor management, crossing guards, and mental health support tied to law enforcement.

### Who it affects

Drivers who pass stopped school buses, vehicle owners whose cars are caught by school bus cameras, local law enforcement agencies that issue citations and collect penalties, the Department of Revenue, which supplies owner records, and public and private elementary and secondary schools that would receive the reallocated penalty money.

### Why it matters

Vehicle owners cited by a school bus camera would get a clearer, legally required notice of their right to fight the ticket in court, and courts would have explicit authority to reduce or suspend the penalty. Money from these penalties would go directly and equally to schools for safety measures rather than to law enforcement budgets generally.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. section 40-6-163, keeping the criminal penalty for a cited driver at a fine of $500 to $1,000, up to 12 months confinement, or both, as a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
- Section 1 revises subparagraph (d)(3)(A) to set the civil monetary penalty for vehicle owners at $500 to $1,000 and explicitly authorizes courts to amend, modify, alter, suspend, or probate that penalty.
- Section 1 revises subparagraph (d)(3)(B) to require law enforcement to obtain owner information from the Department of Revenue within ten days and to mail a citation, photo evidence, a sworn officer certificate, and required notices.
- The mailed notice must include the statement 'YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO CONTEST THIS PENALTY IN COURT' in at least 12 point font on the front page.
- Section 1 revises paragraph (15) of subsection (d) to redefine how collected penalty money is used, requiring equal allocation among all schools in the jurisdiction for school safety purposes rather than for local law enforcement or public safety initiatives generally.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-03-28)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-04-02)
- Sponsors: Don Parsons, Matt Barton, Derrick McCollum, Alan Powell, Mitchell Scoggins, Matthew Gambill
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71846

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb879.md?full=1