The parents of Paul Lee, a special needs student whose tragic death last year sparked a bus safety bill that was passed by the California Senate last month, joined Sen. Tony Mendoza to announce the signing of the law.
“We are grateful today for Governor Brown’s recognition that school bus safety is a vital issue and we thank him for signing SB 1072 to protect the most vulnerable of our students,” Eun Ha Lee, Paul’s mother, said during a press conference held Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Governor Jerry Brown issued a legislative update signing in dozens of bills into law, including the Paul Lee Bus Safety Law.
Lee, a 19-year-old autistic student, was left on a bus unattended during a heat wave for hours and found dead. The law requires that all school buses in California be equipped with a child-safety alarm that would prompt drivers to move to the back of the bus to turn it off, thereby checking all seats for any remaining children. It will also require bus drivers to annually renew their license and receive training on child safety procedures.
“Although we tragically lost our son Paul last year after he was left behind on a school bus for seven hours, we know that the signing of this bill is a warm hug from heaven that will enable all children who ride a school bus to arrive at their destination safely,” Eun Ha Lee said.
Mendoza thanked Brown. “The Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law will protect every child who rides a school bus to and from school every day,” he said.
California now joins states like Arkansas and Wisconsin, who already have child safety laws in place.
“My hope is that Governor Brown’s signature provides some measure of consolation and closure for Paul’s family,” Mendoza said. “Although we cannot give the Lees their beloved brother and son back, we can honor his memory and find solace in the fact that his passing will ensure that so many others will live.”
