Title: S.L. 2007-382
Subject: Session Law 2007-382
Category: Introduced Bill 2007

General Assembly of North Carolina	Session 2007

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2007

SESSION LAW 2007-382
SENATE BILL 924

AN ACT to Change the element making passing a stopped school bus and striking a person a felony from requiring "serious bodily injury" and removing the requirement of signage being at least eight inches from the definition of school bus to correspond to the changes madE to G.S. 20‑217 in the 2005 Session and requiring that school buses be painted yellow.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 20‑217(g) reads as rewritten:
"(g)	Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) of this section and strikes any person shall be guilty of a Class I felony."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 20‑4.01(27)d4. reads as rewritten:
"d4.	School bus. – A vehicle whose primary purpose is to transport school students over an established route to and from school for the regularly scheduled school day, that is equipped with alternately flashing red lights on the front and rear and a mechanical stop signal, and that bears the plainly visible words "School Bus" on the front and  rear. The term includes a public, private, or parochial vehicle that meets this description."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 20‑4.01(27)d4., as rewritten by Section 2 of this act, reads as rewritten:
"d4.	School bus. – A vehicle whose primary purpose is to transport school students over an established route to and from school for the regularly scheduled school day, that is equipped with alternately flashing red lights on the front and rear and a mechanical stop signal, that is painted primarily yellow below the roofline, and that bears the plainly visible words "School Bus" on the front and rear. The term includes a public, private, or parochial vehicle that meets this description."

SECTION 4. Section 1 of this act becomes effective December 1, 2007 and applies to offenses committed on or after that date. Section 3 of this act becomes effective August 1, 2007, and applies to all school buses acquired on or after that date.  The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 23^rd day of July, 2007.

	s/	 Marc Basnight
	 President Pro Tempore of the Senate

	s/	 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 6:59 p.m. this 19^th day of August, 2007

Page 	Session Law 2007-382	Senate Bill 924

Senate Bill 924	Session Law 2007-382	Page