Mills signs Golek’s bus safety bill

On July 26, Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill sponsored by state Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, that will improve safety for students on school buses.

L.D. 62, An Act to Require Antipinch Sensors on School Bus Doors, requires the sensors to be installed in all new buses starting in 2025.

In 2022, two students, one from Auburn and another from Buxton, were caught by their school bus doors and placed in harm’s way. Antipinch sensors can help prevent such accidents by stopping doors from closing with a child caught in them.

“Our state has a responsibility for the safety of Maine children, and this legislation will reduce the likelihood of injury by placing common-sense measures on school bus doors,” Golek said.

The bill will take effect in October 2023.

Golek, a member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee and its Select Committee on Housing, is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives. She represents Harpswell and part of Brunswick.