Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently signed a bill into law that will increase penalties for falsifying school bus safety records or transporting students on out-of-service buses.

The law, which the governor signed this past Sunday, will mandate fines of $2,500 and also requires drivers convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol to install ignition interlock devices for 10 years after conviction.

"Safety is a top priority for any parent whose child rides a school bus," said Rell in a recent statement.

This past February, the DMV discovered that an employee of the bus company had been falsifying records, something that officials have found at more than one bus company in the state. The law also requires the DMV to conduct background checks on employees hired to make and issue driver's licenses and identification cards, with a federal grant covering the cost of the background checks.

This law comes on the heels of recently signed legislation that will help bus companies pay for  new school buses equipped with three-point seat belts by covering a portion of the sales tax.