End-of-route school bus checks passes Assembly

INDIANAPOLIS – School bus drivers would have to walk to the back of their buses to make sure no children are forgotten under a bill that has passed the Indiana General Assembly.

A bill that won final legislative approval Monday would require school bus drivers to inspect each seat at the end of each trip. Drivers who don’t do end-of-route inspections could face a $500 fine.

Three South Bend students were left on school buses last year, and earlier this year a 4-year-old child was left alone inside a parked school bus in Richmond.

The bill now goes to Gov. Mitch Daniels, who can veto the proposal, sign it into law or let it become law without his signature.