Drivers approaching the school bus from behind must always stop when it stops to drop off children and flashes warning lights or extends its stop arm.
In all 50 states, that is the law. Thousands of drivers, however, fail to do so every day, according to driver surveys conducted by a national bus driver group.
On January 1, school districts in Oregon will be permitted to install cameras on their buses in order to monitor and report drivers who do not stop.
Sean Sype, a Wilsonville High School student, contacted lawmakers about the new law when he witnessed reckless drivers putting his classmates in risk by speeding around buses. According to Sype, cameras might hold negligent drivers accountable and discourage such behavior.
In the end, this bill is about making our neighborhoods safer for children, Sype wrote to senators last year.
The measure from Skype is one of several new laws that will go into force in Oregon on January 1st. Others include initiatives to reduce drug use on public transportation, lower the cost of prescription medications, and make sure Oregonians have the knowledge and resources necessary to repair technological gadgets if they would choose to do so rather than purchase new ones.
In a news release issued Monday by Democrats in both chambers, Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, a Democrat from Portland, stated that Oregonians and we are not content with the current situation. Our goal to raise the standard of living in Oregon is ongoing, and these adjustments in the new year represent only one stage of that effort.
The right to fix
Oregon will be the fourth state to mandate that tech companies provide consumers and independent repair businesses with the equipment, parts, and manuals needed to fix their devices on January 1. Consumer electronics sold on or after that day are subject to the regulation.
Tech behemoths like Apple opposed the so-called right-to-repair bill, claiming that Oregon’s broad legislation may jeopardize device security and safety.
According to the bill, businesses cannot restrict a device’s functionality just because a customer or independent repairman repaired it using an aftermarket product. Additionally, they are unable to get those devices to display false alarms or warnings regarding unknown parts.
Divestment of coal
Unless the corporations are transitioning to clean energy, another 2024 law that will take effect at the beginning of the year will mandate that the Oregon Treasury divest from coal companies and funds that contain coal companies. However, the value of the investment funds cannot be harmed by those divestitures.
In a March press release, Ashland Democrat and bill author Sen. Jeff Golden stated that Oregonians, especially Oregon public employees and retirees, are clear: They do not want their money spent on polluting our air, water, and land.
Earlier this year, Tobias Read, the treasurer of Oregon and soon-to-be secretary of state, unveiled a strategy to shift the state’s investment portfolios toward businesses that achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Using drugs when traveling
Beginning in January, individuals who take illegal narcotics while on public transit will be charged with the class A misdemeanor of interfering with public transportation. Compared to the class C misdemeanor penalty for consuming drugs in other public places, that is a much worse punishment.
Although those found guilty might often receive state-funded therapy, violators of the new rule could face up to a year in prison, a fine of more than $6,000, or both.
Laws pertaining to prescribed drugs have changed.
Insurers and health care providers will have to factor in the entire cost of prescription medications when determining a patient’s maximum out-of-pocket payment starting in January. The bill is intended to help people with expensive prescriptions reach those maximum payments more quickly, bringing down their overall costs, the Democrats wrote.
Another law prevents health benefit plans from requiring physician-administered drugs to be created at special pharmacies. Insurers in recent years have tried to reduce costs by requiring some drugs be purchased by a specialty pharmacy, Democrats say, a practice that has sparked concern from doctors who say that can cause delays for patients trying to get their medicine.
School board recordings must be made public
Unless a school district has fewer than 50 students, its school board must record video of its public meetings and post those online for people to view. Same goes for the boards of community colleges and public universities. A district that has bad internet access is allowed to upload an audio recording instead.
Worker safety
Another bill requires warehouse workers to tell employees in a transparent way about any quotas they have to meet. That has to be given to workers in writing, and employers can t discipline warehouse workers for failing to meet quotas they haven t described.
Advocates for warehouse workers say that quotas contribute to high workplace injury rates, House Democrats wrote, and lawmakers hope the bill will give workers the information they need to do their work safely and advocate for themselves.
Reporter Mike Rogoway contributed to this story.
Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her [email protected] (503) 260-3430.
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