968 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 448

charging of pupils in case of emergency. The rear bumper
shall be so placed that it will not interfere with the egress of
the passengers using the emergency door. The door shall be
controlled by a safety device which in case of emergency may
easily be operated independently of the driver and the device
shall be protected against accidental or unauthorized release.

7. Every school bus operating in the State shall be required
to come to a full stop within at least 10 feet and not more
than 50 feet before crossing at grade any track or tracks of a
railroad.

8. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or permit
to be operated any motor vehicle with the words "school bus"
painted or printed thereon if such bus is not more or less
regularly used as a bus for the transportation of children to
and from school.

9. Every school bus transporting children to public schools
in each county shall be inspected at least twice each year.
Such inspection shall be made by the county superintendent
of schools or his duly authorized agent, assisted by a person
to be designated by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. One
of the two inspections mentioned above shall be made during
the month of September.

10. Any person operating a motor vehicle which fails to stop
as required in Sub-section 3 of this section, when a school bus,
with the stop signal set, stops to take on or discharge chil-
dren, or who otherwise violates the provisions of this section
when such bus actually halts for the purpose of taking on or
discharging children, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall upon conviction be fined not less than Five Dollars
($5. 00) nor more than Fifty Dollars ($50. 00). Furthermore,
any school bus owner or operator permitting a school bus to
be operated which does not meet the regulations mentioned
in this section or which violates any other provisions of this
section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon con-
viction be fined not less than Five Dollars ($5. 00) nor more
than Fifty Dollars ($50. 00).

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect September 1, 1939.

Approved May 3, 1939.