Nassau committee advances bill for cameras on buses to catch drivers who illegally pass

Drivers in Nassau who illegally pass stopped school buses could soon be caught on camera.
The County Legislature's Public Safety Committee has passed a bill that will allow the county to install cameras on school buses.
The move comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a statewide bill into law that set guidelines for how such a program will work.
First-time offenders will be hit with a $200 fine. Do it again, it will cost up to $275. A third time will cost $300.
Five years ago, Nassau County tried to implement another safety initiative near schools -- school zone speed cameras. They were unpopular and the rollout, by most accounts, was a disaster. So much so, the county had to scrap the program and the cameras within weeks. But this time, lawmakers say it's different.
The way the legislation is written, school districts will have the chance to opt in to the program, with the county footing the cost of installing the cameras.
Seventy-nine tickets were issued to drivers in Nassau last year for overtaking and passing a school bus.
The bill was introduced by Legislators Arnold Drucker and Siela Bynoe.