LEVERETT — Two years after a Leverett family released videos of motorists whizzing past their children’s stopped school bus, the Legislature has passed a bill allowing video monitoring to catch violators.

The legislation, which Gov. Maura Healey signed into law on Jan. 10, gives communities the option to mount monitoring systems on school buses. The footage from those cameras may be used by police to issue fines and citations.

“I’m very excited and happy that we have [the law],” said Wes Goscenski, the Leverett resident who publicized the videos that helped inspire the legislation. “I do hope that this is a deterrent for drivers out there, and I hope drivers are a little more conscious and aware of school buses while they’re stopped and the red lights are flashing as they let our kids on and off.”

When he would stand outside his home on Long Plain Road before his two children were picked up, Goscenski would be alarmed whenever he saw vehicles zipping past the bus’ stop sign.

Goscenski informed the Police Department, which positioned a cruiser along the bus route on Long Plain Road as often as possible. But Leverett’s small Police Department does not have enough personnel to follow all three of the town’s school buses, and Goscenski continued to see motorists speeding past his house.

So, he notified the town and local legislators Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, and Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton. Those two legislators held a press conference at the Goscenski home in May 2023, and pushed for a state law to ensure safety at roadside bus stops.

Blais said the law’s passage is a “great step forward.”

“Hopefully we’re reminding people that, as drivers of vehicles, we have a responsibility to keep our children safe,” Blais said. “As a result of passage of this bill into law, there is a tool that allows our communities to really impose some really strict fines on people who disobey the law and put our children at risk.”

Springfield’s City Council has now taken advantage of the new law, approving plans to put monitoring systems on its school buses.

“This is an issue that not many are aware of, unless you are a parent. I started noticing cars driving by the stop sign when dropping off my son at his bus stop,” said Springfield City Councilor Jose Delgado. “I have been advocating for the mayor and Police Department for more enforcement on this issue and now the state has given us a tool to keep our children safe.”

Salem and Peabody have also equipped the stop arms of school buses with video cameras.

With monitoring systems in place, the police will be able to issue citations to violators after the fact by capturing license plate information. The fine for a violation is $250.

But Leverett Police Chief Scott Minckler said the town hasn’t implemented the law because cameras will be a “financial burden” on whoever foots the bill. He added that he does not yet have clarity on who would have to pay for the monitoring system.

He did note that it is “on our agenda and our radar” to meet with the school district and town to further consider the possibilities.

Nonetheless, Minckler said he is appreciative of the legislation’s passage.

“I think it’s fantastic that it’s going to help our officers. We can’t follow every school bus. We have three school buses in Leverett, one officer can only follow one bus,” Minckler said. “That leaves the other buses vulnerable to have something happen. So this is just another tool for us to be able to enforce these laws and keep the parents safe, too.”

Mitchell Fink writes for the Greenfield Recorder as part of the Boston University Statehouse Program.