Representative Yakym co-leads Brake for Kids Act

This week, Representative Rudy Yakym (IN-02), along with Representatives Pete Stauber (MN-08), Seth Moulton (MA-06) and Julia Brownley (CA-26), introduced the Brake for Kids Act – legislation that will require the Department of Transportation to release a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on the dangers of illegally passing stopped school buses.

“Our community in northern Indiana is all too familiar with the devastating consequences of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. Just last week, we were mere seconds away from another tragedy,” Yakym said. “My dear friend and predecessor, Jackie Walorski, took swift action to pass the Stop for School Buses Act of 2021, and I am proud to continue her legacy by co-leading the Brake for Kids Act. By passing this legislation, we can better protect our children, safeguard our communities, and prevent further tragedies.”

“Too many drivers nationwide drive illegally past stopped school buses, endangering children and their caregivers,” Stauber said. “In the most tragic cases, the outcome of these reckless actions can be fatal. We are facing an epidemic of distracted driving, but an alarming number of drivers are also unaware that driving past a stopped school bus is illegal. That’s why it is imperative that the Department of Transportation release a PSA informing American drivers of the dangers passing school busses illegally. We must do everything we can to protect our nation’s most precious commodity: our children.”

In a 2024 study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, participants were asked for their opinions on the reason most drivers illegally pass a stopped school bus. A little over 24 percent reported that they didn’t know the law. 

“Street safety for our kids should be an issue that everyone can get on board with,” Moulton said. “Last year, in my district, Peabody Public Schools put cameras on their school buses and found over 3,400 instances of vehicles failing to stop. That's 2.3 illegal passes per bus per day. This legislation helps combat this dangerous behavior and ensure kids don't get killed when just trying to get to school.”

“As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I worked with Congresswoman Jackie Walorski to include life-saving legislation addressing the dangers posed by drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” Brownley said. “I am proud to join my colleagues in continuing to build on this progress to better protect children from preventable tragedies.”

“The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) strongly supports the Brake for Kids Act. Private school bus contractors encounter illegal passing of their school buses every day, putting schoolchildren in great danger,” Executive Director of the National School Transportation Association Curt Macysyn said. “NSTA believes this bill will finally move the needle in the direction of safety for kids embarking and disembarking their school buses. A national public safety messaging campaign including television and radio ads will serve to educate and remind all drivers that it is illegal and dangerous to pass a stopped school bus with its lights flashing and stop arm extended. NSTA thanks Representatives Stauber, Yakym, Moulton and Brownley for their strong leadership on this critical safety issue.”