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OntarioDid not become law (session ended)41st Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 50 explained in plain English

Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Bus Camera System), 2014

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature
Legislature / Parliament
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Session
41st Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill 50
Full title
Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Bus Camera System), 2014
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
Standing Committee on Justice Policy
Last updated
Dec 11, 2014

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.

Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Current Stage
Standing Committee on Justice Policy
Latest Activity
Dec 11, 2014
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill 50, the Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Bus Camera System), 2014, aims to allow photographic evidence from school bus cameras to be used in court proceedings related to illegal passing of school buses.

What It Means

This bill proposes to amend the Highway Traffic Act by adding a new section that allows photographs taken by school bus camera systems to be used as evidence in court. These photographs can prove that a vehicle did not stop for a school bus or that the vehicle passed the bus before it was safe to do so, under specific conditions related to existing traffic laws. The bill also outlines procedures for using these photographs as evidence, including certification by an officer and rules for trials. The Lieutenant Governor in Council can make regulations about the form and content of these photographs and related procedures. The bill will come into effect on a date proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.

What This Bill Does
  • Amends the Highway Traffic Act to include provisions for evidence obtained from school bus camera systems.
  • Allows photographs from school bus camera systems to be presented as evidence in court for offences related to failing to stop for a school bus.
  • Establishes that certified photographs from school bus camera systems can serve as proof that a vehicle committed an offence under subsections 175 (11) or (12) of the Highway Traffic Act.
  • Specifies conditions under which a conviction cannot be based solely on a photograph from a school bus camera system.
  • Allows for regulations to be made concerning the form, content, and use of photographs from school bus camera systems as evidence.
  • Enables the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations regarding the definition of 'photograph', the requirements for photographs, what constitutes a school bus camera system, filing photographs in court, serving offence notices, and evidence of vehicle ownership or driver identity.
  • Establishes that the Act comes into force on a day named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
Who Is Affected
  • Drivers who fail to stop for a school bus.
  • Individuals involved in court proceedings related to school bus stopping offences.
  • Provincial offences officers who may certify photographs.
  • The Lieutenant Governor in Council, who is empowered to make regulations.
  • The general public, through the enforcement of school bus safety laws.
Rights, Duties, Or Obligations
  • Photographs from school bus camera systems are admissible as evidence in court, subject to regulations.
  • A photograph certified by a provincial offences officer is proof it was obtained by a school bus camera system, unless evidence proves otherwise.
  • A photograph is proof of facts shown, such as a vehicle not stopping for a school bus, unless evidence proves otherwise.
  • Conviction for a school bus offence based on a photograph requires the photograph to be presented as evidence at trial if a not guilty plea is entered.
  • Regulations may govern the form and content of photographs and related procedures.
Important Dates
  • The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
Enforcement Or Penalties
  • Convictions for offences under subsection 175 (11) or (12) of the Highway Traffic Act may be based on photographic evidence from school bus camera systems.
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The effectiveness and specific application of the photographic evidence depend on regulations yet to be made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
  • The bill does not specify the exact penalties for offences related to school bus camera systems; it only addresses the admissibility of evidence.
  • The bill does not specify the cost of implementing or operating school bus camera systems.
  • The bill does not specify who will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the school bus camera systems.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Highway Traffic Act
amends

Adds a new Part (XIV.3) that allows photographs from school bus camera systems to be used as evidence in court proceedings for offences related to failing to stop for a school bus.

Source: Section 1

Provincial Offences Act
affects

Specifies that photographs from school bus camera systems can be received as evidence in proceedings under this Act for alleged offences under subsections 175 (11) or (12) of the Highway Traffic Act.

Source: Section 205.26 (1)

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.

Official text

Process Snapshot

Step 1
First reading
Nov 27, 2014
Step 2
Second reading
Dec 11, 2014
Step 3
Committee review
Dec 11, 2014
Step 4
Third reading
Not reached yet
Step 5
Royal assent
Not reached yet

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Rick Nicholls
Sponsor party or district not listed
Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.

How this data is sourced