COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY, JUSTICE, AND 
PUBLIC SAFETY 
11/19/2024-AMENDED AND REPORTED OUT TO THE FLOOR 
11/12/2024-AMENDED AND REPORTED OUT TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND JUDICIARY 
 
 
BILL NO. 
35-0271 
 
Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands 
 
 
 
May 31, 2024 
 
 
 
An Act amending title 20 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 43, subchapter I by adding a section 
494b establishing school speed zones, signage, and enforcement measures to promote student 
and pedestrian safety near schools 
 
 
 
PROPOSED BY: 
 
 
Senators Angel L. Bolques, Jr., and Milton E. Potter 
 
WHEREAS, the safety of students and pedestrians is of the utmost concern in school 
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zones where there is traffic from motorcars, trucks, motorcycles, and busses; 
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WHEREAS, the single primary cause of accidents is vehicles exceeding speed limits in 
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the school zones; 
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WHEREAS, a collaboration between the Virgin Islands Department of Education and 
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the Virgin Islands Police Department can establish speed limits for each school, to promote 
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safety to be known as school speed zones; 
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WHEREAS, the proper signage in the school zones can alert drivers of the appropriate 
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speed limits and establish a school speed zone; 
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WHEREAS, the Virgin Islands Police Department shall enforce the proper speed limits 
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in the school speed zones; 
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2 
 
WHEREAS, the Department of Education and the Virgin Islands Police Department 
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shall initiate a public education campaign to promote school speed zone safety; Now, 
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Therefore, 
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 
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SECTION 1.  Title 20 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 43 is amended by adding a 
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subchapter III to read as follows:  
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“Subchapter III.  School Speed Zone and Enforcement Act 
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§ 531. This subchapter may be cited as the “School Speed Zone and Enforcement Act.” 
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§ 532.  Definitions 
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As used in this subchapter, unless the context requires otherwise: 
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(1) 
“School Speed Zone” means a designated area within a specified distance from a 
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school property boundary where vehicular speed limits are reduced below the standard limits 
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for the road to enhance safety.  These zones are active during specified hours that correspond 
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to school operations, including but not limited to student arrival and departure times, and any 
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other times when children are likely to be present. 
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(2) 
“School Zone Signage” means official signs erected by the Virgin Islands 
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Department of Public Works after consultation with the Virgin Islands Police Department.  
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These signs indicate the beginning and end of a school speed zone, the applicable speed limit 
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within the zone, and the hours of operation.  The design, placement, and maintenance of these 
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signs shall adhere to the standards established by the Virgin Islands Department of Public 
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Works and any applicable federal guidelines. 
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(3) 
“Pedestrian” means any person traveling on foot, wheelchair, bicycle, riding on an 
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electric personal assistive device or similar means of non-vehicular movement, who may be 
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using the roadway, sidewalks, crosswalks, or any paths adjacent to a school property within a 
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school speed zone. 
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3 
 
§ 533.  Establishment of School Speed Zones 
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The Department of Education in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Police Department 
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and the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works shall establish the boundaries for each 
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school to determine its school speed zones. School speed zones must: 
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(1) 
be established in proximity to schools to enhance the safety of students and 
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pedestrians during school hours and other designated times; and 
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(2) 
be established based on assessment that considers the following criteria: 
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(i) 
The proximity of school buildings to adjacent roadways; 
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(ii) 
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns, including peak times coinciding 
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with school hours; 
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(iii) Historical accident data and reported near-misses involving students and 
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vehicles; and 
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(iv) Road geometry, visibility, and existing speed limits in the vicinity of schools. 
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§ 534.  Enforcement Measures 
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The Virgin Islands Police Department, along with all P.O.S.T. certified peace 
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officers, are responsible for enforcing the reduced speed limits within school speed zones.  
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But law enforcement officers who are authorized to issue citations may issue a citation 
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to a motorist who violates the school speed zone limit.  The Virgin Islands Police 
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Department shall provide adequate personnel for school speed zones as part of its traffic 
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and monitoring duties.  School speed zones will be enforced during each school hours, 
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and during official school events that may occur outside regular school hours, including 
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weekends.  Official school events include school-related sporting events, after-school 
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programs, summer school sessions, Parent-Teacher Conferences, graduation ceremonies, 
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standardized testing, and Department of Education community events.  Enforcement of 
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speed zones during official school events is to protect students, staff, and attendees at all 
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official school events. 
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§ 535.  Penalties 
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(a) 
Any person found to be in violation of the provisions of this section is subject to a 
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civil penalty of $500 for each infraction. 
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§ 536.  Fines; collection 
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Thirty-three and one-third percent of the fines collected from school zone speeding 
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violations must be allocated to the Virgin Islands Police Department for traffic safety education 
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programs, and improvements in school zone safety infrastructure and the remaining 33.3 
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percent of the fines shall to the Department of Education to be used exclusively for career 
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technical education schools, programs, or courses and 33.4 percent must be deposited into the 
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District  Public Road Fund. 
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§ 537.  Department of Education Department of Public Works and Virgin Islands Police 
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Department continuing obligations 
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The Virgin Islands Police Department shall use all available technology including 
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speed cameras and radar to enforce school zone speed limits.  The Department of 
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Education, in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Police Department, shall conduct 
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periodic reviews of school zone safety measures and propose adjustments as necessary 
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and shall disseminate communication with the public about the penalties for speeding in 
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school zones.  The Department of Public Works shall erect and replace signage, install 
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and maintain flashing lights, maintain crosswalks and the school speed zone 
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infrastructure. 
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SECTION 2.  Title 20 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 43, subchapter I, section 512 is 
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amended by adding a new provision to the Schedule of Fees as follows: 
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(a) 
Schedule of Fees for Speeding Violations in School Zones: 
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5 
 
VIC 
Violation Description 
1st Offense Fee 2nd Offense Fee 3rd Offense Fee 
T.20, 535 Exceeding speed limit in school zones $500.00 
$1,000.00 
$1,500.00 
 
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SECTION 3.  (a) The sum of $500,000 is appropriated in the fiscal year ending 
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September 30, 2025, from the Transportation Trust Fund to Virgin Islands Department of 
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Public Works to implement and administer the provisions of this act, including signage 
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installation and public education campaigns. 
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(b) 
The funds must be exclusively used for the purchase and installation of signage to 
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designate school speed zones at all public, private and parochial schools and early learning 
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centers within the Virgin Islands, to include speed limit signs, pedestrian crossing signs, 
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flashing warning lights, and any other signage necessary to effectively implement the “School 
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Speed Zone and Enforcement Act.” 
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(c) 
The Department of Public Works, in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Police 
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Department are responsible for determining the specific signage needs for each school based 
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on the criteria established. 
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(d) 
The Virgin Islands Police Department shall determine speed limits for school speed 
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zones.  Reduced speed limits must be established during designated hours, such as arrival and 
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dismissal times.  The timeframes during which the reduced speed limits are enforced must be 
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clearly communicated through signage and other public outreach efforts. 
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(e) 
School speed zone signage must: 
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(1) 
be installed in a visible and conspicuous manner to indicate the presence of 
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school speed zones;  
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(2) 
include the designated reduced speed limit and any additional information 
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necessary to inform motorists of the school zone boundaries; and 
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(3) 
must comply with applicable traffic regulations and standards for size, color, 
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and visibility. 
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(f) 
Not later than nine months after the Department of Public Works receives the 
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appropriation, it shall submit a report to the Legislature of the Virgin Islands and the 
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Department of Education outlining: 
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(1) 
The progress of the signage installation project, including the number of 
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schools outfitted with new signs; 
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(2) 
A breakdown of expenditures to date; and 
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(3) 
Any challenges encountered during the implementation phase and the 
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measures taken to address them. 
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(g) 
The Department of Education in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Police 
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Department shall conduct public education and awareness campaigns to inform the community 
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about school speed zones, reduced speed limits, and the importance of adhering to the 
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regulations.  These campaigns may include distributing educational materials, holding 
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community meetings, conducting school outreach programs, and utilizing other effective means 
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of communication. 
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BILL SUMMARY 
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This bill establishes comprehensive measures to enhance the safety of students and 
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pedestrians in school zones across the Virgin Islands by establishing the “School Speed Zone 
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and Enforcement Act.”  It appropriates $500,000 from the Transportation Trust Fund to the 
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Department of Public Works for the procurement and installation of necessary signage, thereby 
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clearly delineating school speed zones.  The bill also outlines a collaborative framework 
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involving the Department of Education and the Virgin Islands Police Department to establish 
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and enforce reduced speed limits during specified hours, along with promoting road safety 
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through public education campaigns.  Additionally, the bill revises the Schedule of Fees to 
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include penalties for speeding violations within these zones, with the dual aim of deterrence 
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and raising awareness about the importance of adhering to speed limits to protect school 
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communities. 
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BR23-0615/April 4, 2024/CBM 
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