HB1511

Charlie's Law requires that all school buses in Arkansas, including those operated by public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools, be equipped with an electronic child safety alarm system. New or used buses acquired after January 1, 2024, must include this technology, and all existing school buses must be retrofitted by January 1, 2029. The alarm system is designed to activate when the bus is turned on and must be deactivated at the rear of the vehicle, forcing the driver to walk through the entire bus before exiting. If the system is not deactivated within ten minutes of the bus being turned off, an external audio alarm will sound. This measure aims to prevent incidents where children are accidentally left on unattended school buses.