HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — After a spate of rumors that Ottawa County Sheriff’s deputies could stop school buses and arrest drivers for not wearing masks, Sheriff Steve Kempker told WHTC that is not so.
He said school and other transit buses must follow federal transit rules, which must be enforced by U.S. Marshals.
Kempker said deputies are not stopping buses to enforce mask rules, but people may be confused by a county health directive, which states, “Face Masks must be worn during school supported transportation. CDC order applies to all public transportation inclusive of conveyance by school bus; face masks must be worn by all buses operated by public and private school systems.”
Police can stop a bus for speeding or violating other standard road rules, but Kempker said even if deputies observe mask violations in those instances, the goal is to educate people about the value of the masks, not to punish those who don’t wear them.
Reuters reports that the Transportation Security Administration does have fines for not wearing masks and those are increased to “$500-$1,000 for first offenders and $1,000-$3,000 for second offenders.”
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