Representative Charlene Lima, Cranston/Providence Dist-14 and Representative Robert Nardolillo, Coventry Dist-28, are co-sponsors of legislation requiring all school buses in Rhode Island to be equipped with an Ignition Interlock System to protect Rhode Island children from impaired bus drivers.

Citing the recent arrest of a Westerly school bus driver on DUI charges as well as past incidents, Nardolillo said, “We can no longer subject our school children to even the slightest chance that an impaired bus driver will end their lives before they even begin.”

Lima said, “the vast majority of school bus drivers would never place the lives of the children entrusted to them in jeopardy by drinking and driving but we simply cannot play Russian roulette with the lives of our school children for the few who would.”

The legislation if approved would require all school buses in Rhode Island, transporting students pre-school to grade 12, be equipped with an Ignition Interlock System by January 1, 2018. No municipality would enter into any contract with a school bus company nor engage the services of a school bus company that does not have the Ignition Interlock System installed on their buses in Rhode Island. After January 1, 2018 no municipality would allow any company whose school buses are not equipped with an Ignition Interlock System to transport school children in Rhode Island. This legislation will apply to private schools as well.

The legislation would also make it a felony for any person who helps a bus driver bypass the Ignition Interlock System. These penalties include fines, loss of driver license and/or imprisonment for the bus driver and the person helping the driver bypass the Ignition Interlock system.

Rep Lima said, “I cannot believe that we don’t already have an Ignition Interlock System law for school bus drivers, especially with the recent increase nationally of school bus DUI’s. Hopefully this will be the year that we finally take the steps needed to protect our school children from impaired bus drivers.”