A bill named after Paul Lee, a 19-year-old special needs student found dead inside a school bus during a heat wave last September, was unanimously passed by the California Senate today.
It heads to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk for final approval.
The Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law, or SB 1072, was introduced in February by Sen. Tony Mendoza. It requires all California school buses to install a child-safety alarm system that ensures no passengers are left behind on vehicles.
The alarm sounds once a bus ignition is turned off, meaning drivers must walk to the back of the bus – and inspect the vehicle for remaining students – to silence it. SB 1072 also calls for bus drivers to obtain special certificates that come with training and instruction.
“With today’s vote, we are one step closer to protecting every child who rides a school bus to and from school every day,” Mendoza said.
The State Council on Developmental Disabilities backed the bill. “The tragedy in Whittier was totally avoidable,” Council Chair Dr. April Lopez said.
Lee, who immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea with his family when he was 4 years old, was autistic and could not communicate verbally. He attended Sierra Adult School.
On Sept. 11, 2015, Eun Ha Lee, his mother, called the school when her son did not return home in the afternoon. Lee had been left inside the bus for hours.
In June, speaking before the Assembly, Eun Ha Lee said “no family should have to say goodbye to a child who died while riding on a school bus.”
“Knowing that this bill has been written in his name will put a smile on Paul’s face in heaven,” she said.
