State officials apparently have yet to inform law enforcement and judicial personnel across the Pee Dee about the recent changes made to the state law outlining motorist and school bus driver traffic responsibilities.

The new law, which went into effect Aug. 1, permits motorists to drive past school buses stopped on the opposite side of highways with four or more lanes.

Florence Police Inspector Allen Heidler said that, as of Thursday afternoon, neither his department nor other city agencies it regularly interacts with had been officially notified of the changes implemented.

"I've checked with our municipal court and they haven't received anything, and neither has our prosecutor, so the state has not informed us of a change in the law," Heidler said.

"We're following up on that, trying to make contact with the state but at this particular time we have had no notification. Obviously, we will conform to the enforcement of the current law when that happens."

Williamsburg County Sheriff Kelvin Washington echoed the same sentiments, declining comment on the pros and cons of the law because neither he nor his subordinates were made aware of it.

Florence County Chief Magistrate Eugene Cooper, his office too an apparent victim of the oversight, blamed it on the recent turn of events in the state General Assembly and cutbacks in funding and personnel.

"I have heard the rumors on television, but we haven't got anything in writing on that," he said. "Everything is sort of slow this year and some things just passed at the last minute, so they haven't had time to filter it on down the ladder to the people who have to enforce it."

Heidler said slights such as this on the part of the state regarding amendment matters don't generally happen.

For example, personnel from Heidler, Washington and Cooper's agencies have received word about the legal blood alcohol presumption level change from .10 to .08 that becomes effective Aug. 19.

"We received that information two months in advance," Heidler said. "In fact, it was at the time that the governor was going to sign it into law."

The amendments to the school bus traffic law also require that students board the bus or be unloaded next to the curb. School bus drivers cannot allow them to cross a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road.

It is still illegal to pass a stopped school bus from either direction on two-lane roads. The penalty is a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.