Teen work crew bill advances

Kris Hill

Tuesday, April 17, 2001 | 11:35 a.m.

Assembly members will have a chance to debate a bill that would protect teenage work crews after a committee acted on the bill Monday night.

Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted to send to the full house Assembly Bill 27, which was drafted after six teens working in a median of Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas were killed last spring by a van that veered off the road and ran them over.

The driver, Jessica Williams, 21, was found guilty of having drugs in her system at the time of the crash. She admitted smoking marijuana two hours beforehand.

The bill would prohibit children from working off community service for minor crimes in dangerous situations, such as along highway medians.

Some juvenile work groups will be allowed to work along the highway if the children are provided with orange reflective vests, they are behind a guard rail, they are not working along a median, there are signs up to 100 yards away and a vehicle with flashing yellow lights to alert drivers to the worker's presence.

It will also require staff supervising the youth working on the highway to notify parents about when and where they will be working.

Staff from the state department of transportation requested that volunteer groups that were involved in the adopt-a-highway program -- groups that are allowed to use young workers -- be required to work under the same conditions.

On March 5 the Judiciary Committee heard emotional testimony from relatives of the victims of the accident caused when Williams drifted off I-15 and hit the teenagers who were picking up trash in the median.

Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley was initially concerned about the bill, but was pleased with the changes that were brought back to the committee.

"We've put safety standards in ... and we've been really tough on the urban roadways," Buckley said.