More Testimony to Be Heard on School Bus Monitor Bill

The Municipal Government Committee took no vote on General Assembly House Bill No. 5186 that came before them Thursday night at the State House. Instead, the committee announced a second public hearing will be scheduled to enable more people to be heard on the measure, given the strong public response so far.

Over the course of two hours Thursday night, about 20 people gave testimony on the bill, reported Committee Vice Chairperson Peter Martin (D-Dist.75, Newport). About 40 people attended the hearing, with about half that many getting up to speak on the measure, attendees said.

Of the testimony received Thursday night, all except one speaker opposed lifting the mandate and the person who spoke in favor of the bill suggested having video surveillance installed on buses as an extra security measure in lieu of bus monitors, Martin noted.

If passed, House Bill No. 5186 would enable cities and towns to decide, through their school committees, whether to keep or cut paid monitors who accompany school buses with grade K-5 passengers.

The law has been in effect since 1986, after three school-aged children were reportedly killed by school buses in Rhode Island within an 18-month period. Rhode Island reportedly is the only state within the U.S. to have such a law requiring bus monitors.

Offered up as an optional cost-saving measure for cities and towns hard-hit with financial problems, the bill originally was introduced on Jan. 27 and referred to the House Municipal Government Committee with Rep. Doreen Marie Costa (R-Dist. 31) as the primary sponsor and with Rep. Daniel P. Gordon Jr. (R-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton), Rep. J. Patrick O'Neill (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), and Rep. Brian C. Newberry (R-Dist.r 48, North Smithfield, Burrillville) also attached as introducing the bill.

However, as of Thursday morning, Newberry assumed the role as primary sponsor, after Costa had withdrawn her name from the bill altogether after she became concerned, she said, that the change in law would result in more job losses across Rhode Island and in her own district.

Opposition to the bill has been led by Julie Mott and the Pendergast family of Newport and Middletown, relatives of 6-year-old Vanessa Anne Pendergast who had been killed in the Middletown school bus accident in 1985 and who helped enact the original legislation still in effect today.

Middletown resident Julie Mott, who was 14 when her younger sister Vanessa Pendergast was killed, said on thursday night that she was happy to see such a good turnout Thursday night but that more work was to be done to continue encouraging opponents to contact their representatives by phone or email, or to attend the next hearing.