ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Fines for illegally passing a stopped school bus in Georgia could be lowered under proposed legislation aimed at reducing the steep penalties enacted last year.

State Rep. Don Parsons (R-Marietta) is the sponsor of a bill to decrease fines after hearing complaints from drivers who received $1,000 citations for violations captured by school bus cameras.

“I felt it was too high,” Parsons said during a February hearing. “I still feel like it’s too high.”

Atlanta resident Betsy Johnson was among those caught off guard by the hefty penalty. She was ticketed last year after a school bus camera recorded her vehicle passing a stopped bus on Peachtree Road in Buckhead.

“Initially, I thought it was about $100,” Johnson said. “When I looked closer, it was $1,000. I was in shock.”

The former transportation engineer said the video failed to capture important context. On the day of the violation, ongoing construction kept her vehicle five lanes away from the bus. While Georgia law requires all lanes of traffic to stop for a school bus, other states, including South Carolina, allow vehicles to continue moving on multi-lane roads when traveling in the opposite direction.

“Bus safety is important,” Johnson said. “But we really have to consider both the passengers, the school bus students, and where those stops are safely located.”

Johnson initially planned to fight the ticket in the Municipal Court of Atlanta, preparing maps and photos as evidence. But when she arrived, she changed her mind when she realized she had little recourse.

“I don’t make laws,” said Judge Terrinee Gundy, who oversees many of these cases. “I just enforce them.”

Gundy said her courtroom is often packed with drivers hoping to challenge the fine. “Because the fine is so steep, everybody generally shows up for court because they want to see if there’s anything they can do to reduce that fine,” she said.

Johnson ultimately accepted a plea deal, paying $500 instead of the full amount.

The increased penalties stem from Addy’s Law, named for an eight-year-old girl killed by a motorist while trying to board her Henry County school bus.

Since the law took effect in 2024, Atlanta Public Schools’ school bus camera revenue more than doubled, rising from $170,000 in 2023 to $415,000 last year. That figure does not include the portion collected by the private companies operating the cameras.

Georgia’s $1,000 fine is among the nation’s highest. While the camera fines are civil, it can still impact drivers if left unpaid. According to Georgia’s Department of Revenue, at least 354 drivers were unable to renew their vehicle registrations since 2023 due to unpaid school bus camera violations.

“To a lot of people, $1,000 is a lot of money,” Parsons said. “A $1,000 fine is enough they can’t put food on the table for their children or their car payment.”

Parsons’ legislation would gradually increase the fines, from $300 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for the third.

Gundy acknowledged the concerns but emphasized the purpose behind the steep penalties. “I know a thousand dollars sounds like a lot,” she said. “But if something were to happen to a child, [that amount] wouldn’t even come close.”

The fate of Parsons’ bill is uncertain. Members of a House committee considering the bill did not move it forward. Parsons said he was to amending it to a flat $500 fine.

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