Proposed legislation would change the school speed limit start time from 7 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. to improve safety. | Adobe Stock
Proposed legislation would change the school speed limit start time from 7 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. to improve safety. | Adobe Stock
Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation that would change the school speed-zone start time to 30 minutes earlier in the morning to improve safety around those buildings.
If approved, the school speed-zone start time would go from 7 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.
“I am glad that HB343 was recommended to pass in committee,” bill sponsor Rep. Mike Batinick (R-Plainfield) said in a March release about his legislation.
The legislation doesn’t impact the start and end time for schools in Illinois, but it would provide more safety for districts with sessions beginning at 7 a.m.
“Applying this across Illinois is commonsense school safety,” Batinick said. “Moving this time earlier would create a safer environment for Illinois students with school start times before or around 7 a.m.”
The change will be made to the Illinois Vehicle Code to ensure that students from primary to secondary, as well as nursery schools, would be covered under the new time ordinances.
“This issue was brought to me by the Plainfield Police Department, recommending this change because some Plainfield Schools start around the 7 a.m. hour, where students will be arriving at school earlier than 7 a.m,” Batinick said.
The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) and Mike Murphy (R-Springfield).
The end of the school speed zone time would remain at 4 p.m.
Rep. Batinick graduated from the University of Illinois in 1992 and advocates for commonsense protections for Illinois families.
Alerts Sign-up