The following are the latest bills that were introduced in January 2017. According to LegiScan, state government websites and the State Traffic Safety Legislation Database, 23 states have pending and failed legislative to approve seat belts, school transportation and school bus funding.
Arkansas
- Bill to regulate equipment required for school buses; to require that certain school buses be equipped with seat belts; and to enforce the use of seat belts on school buses equipped with seat belts. Status: To Governor
California
- Bill requires school buses to be retrofitted with passenger restraint systems. Status: Pending– Assembly
Connecticut
- Bill to inform local and regional school districts of the ability to apply for funds from the school bus seat belt account. Status: Pending– Joint Committee of Transportation
- Bill to inform school districts of the ability for funds from the school bus seat belt account. Status: Pending– Joint Committee of Transportation
- Bill to require each school bus that is model year 2019 or newer to be equipped with three-point lap and shoulder seat safety belts and to require passengers of a school bus to wear seat safety belts. Status: Pending– Joint committee of Transportation
- Bill to require buses to be equipped with three-point lap and shoulder seat safety belts and to require passengers of a school bus to wear seat safety belts. Status: Pending– Joint Committee of Transportation
Hawaii
- Legislation requires school buses imported into Hawaii after June 30, 2018, to have seat belt assemblies and school bus contracts to require seat belt assemblies in school buses by July 1, 2028. Applies only to school buses with gross vehicle weight of over 10,000 pounds. Requires DOT and DOE to adopt applicable rules. Status: Pending– House Transportation Committee
- Bill requires all school buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds purchased, leased, or contracted for use by the States as of July 1, 2019, and thereafter, to be equipped with a seat belt assembly at each designated seating position. Status: Pending– Senate Education Committee
Illinois
- Bill provides that each school bus manufactured on or after the effective date of this bill and purchased for use in the state shall be equipped with 3-point restraint systems or any federally approved seat belts for each passenger transported to use a separate belt or restraint. Status: Pending– House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee
- Bill states that a school bus or special purpose bus that is placed into operation after June 30, 2018, and that is used to transport elementary school or high school students must be equipped with a 3-point lap and shoulder safety belt. Requires the state school bus committee to adopt rules for the design, installation, and use of safety belt systems that must be installed in all school buses. Provides exception to the laws concerning other types of passenger restraints. Status: Pending – Senate Transportation Committee
- Bill provides that each school bus manufactured on or after the effective date of this bill and purchased for use in the state shall be equipped with 3-point restraint systems or any federally approved seat belts for each passenger transported to use a separate belt or restraint. Status: Pending– House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee
- Bill provides that each school bus manufactured on or after the effective date of this bill and purchased for use in this state by a school district or a school bus company under contract with a school district shall be equipped with a lap belt or any other federally approved restraint system in a number sufficient to allow each passenger being transported to use a separate belt or restraint system. Status: Pending– House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee
- Bill provides that a school district or a school bus company under contract with a school district shall not operate a Type I or Type II school bus manufactured after the effective date of the bill unless the bus is equipped with a set of 3-point seat belts or any other federally approved restraint system in good operating condition for each passenger seat and a rooftop safety hatch. Status: Pending– House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee
- Bill provides that each school bus manufactured on or after the effective date of this bill and purchased for use in this State shall be equipped with a 3-point seat belt or any other federally approved restraint system in a number sufficient to allow each passenger being transported to use a separate belt or restraint system. Status: Pending– House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee
Indiana
- Bill states that after June 30, 2017, if a school corporation or an accredited nonpublic school enters into a lease for, purchases, or otherwise acquires a school bus or special purpose bus that is used to transport elementary school or high school students, the school bus or special purpose bus must be equipped with a 3-point-lap and shoulder safety belt at each seating. After June 30, 2027, a school bus or special purpose bus used by an accredited nonpublic school to transport students must be equipped with seat belts. Status: Pending– Senate Homeland Security & Transportation Committee
- Bill Relates to school bus equipment, provides that a school bus or special purpose bus that is purchased after January 1, 2018, and that is used to transport elementary school or high school students must be equipped with a 3-point lap and shoulder safety belt at each seating location. Status: Pending– Senate Homeland Security & Transportation Committee
- Bill relates to lap and shoulder safety belts on school buses, provides that a school bus or special purpose bus that is placed into operation after June 30, 2018, and that is used to transport elementary school or high school students must be equipped with a 3-point lap and shoulder safety belt at each seating location. Status: Pending– Senate Homeland Security & Transportation Committee
- Bill relates to seat belts on school buses, provides that a school bus or special purpose bus that is placed into operation and that is used to transport elementary school or high school students must be equipped with a 3-point lap and shoulder safety belt at each seating location. Status: Pending– House Education Committee
Kansas
- Bill concerns school buses and the installation of seat belts on new buses. Status: Pending– House Transportation Committee
Maryland
- The bill requires specified school vehicles in the state to be equipped with seat belts; prohibiting a person from operating school vehicles unless the person and each occupant are restrained by a seat belt; authorizing a local school system or a nonpublic school to establish policies regarding the restraint of pupils by seat belts on school vehicles; requiring the operator of a school vehicle to notify the local school system or the nonpublic school the student attends if the student fails to comply with seat belt requirements. Status: Pending– House Environment and Transportation Committee
- Bill requires school vehicles registered in the state and purchased on or after July 1, 2018, regardless of the date the school vehicle was manufactured or assembled, to be equipped with specified seat belts for every seat on the school vehicle; and providing for the application of specified requirements relating to seat belts on school vehicles. Status: Failed
Massachusetts
- Bill requires the use of seat belts on school buses carrying more than 16 school pupils. Status: Pending– Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
Michigan
- Bill requires seat belts on new school buses. Status: Pending– House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Minnesota
- The bill requires newly purchased school buses to have seat belts. Status: Pending– Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee
- The bill requires seat belts on newly purchased school buses. Status: Prnding– House Education Innovation Policy Committee
Mississippi
- An act requires each school district to equip school buses with properly designed seat belts during the 2017-2018 School Year and to require any bus purchased by school districts after July 1, 2017, to be equipped with seat belts at the time of purchase. Status: Failed
- An act to require each school bus purchased by a local school board and charter school after July 1, 2017, to be equipped with seat belts at all seating positions and on-board cameras. Status: Failed
- An act to amend section 37-41-1, Mississippi code of 1972, to require each school bus purchased by a local school board to be equipped with seat belts at all seating positions. It also requires the State Board of Education to promulgate rules regarding the types of seat belts required and use of seat belts. Status: Failed
Missouri
- Bill relates to school bus safety belts. Status: Pending– SENATE
Montana
- Bill requires a new school bus that is purchased on or after January 1, 2019, to have seatbelts. Status: Failed
Nebraska
- Bill requires al-shoulder restraint belts on school buses. Status: Pending– Transportation and Telecommunications Committee
New Hampshire
- Establishing a committee to study requiring passengers on school buses to wear seat belts. Status: Pending– Senate Transportation Committee
New Jersey
- Bill requires certain school buses to be equipped with lap and shoulder seat belts. Status: Pending– Senate Education Committee
Oregon
- Bill requires safety belts on . school buses and school activity vehicles that provide transportation for state’s kindergarten through grade 12 public schools. Status: Pending– House Transportation Policy Committee
Pennsylvania
- An act amending Title 75 (vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statues, in other required equipment, further providing for general requirements for school buses. Status: Pending– Senate Transportation Committee
- Bill relates to vehicles, relates to other required equipment, provides for general requirements for school buses. Status: Pending– House Transportation Committee
Rhode Island
- Bill requires every new school bus to be equipped with seat belts effective January 1, 2019. Status: Pending– House Health, Education and Welfare Committee
- Bill Would require all new school buses purchased or leased be equipped with seat belts for each passenger and operator seat and would further require mandatory safety belt use by the school bus operator and each passenger. This act would take effect upon passage. Status: Pending– House Health, Education and Welfare Committee
- Bill Would require that every new school bus purchased or leased for use in the state be equipped with a combination pelvic and upper torso 3-point passenger seat belt system for the operator and each passenger seat effective January 1, 2019. Each school district would prepare a plan for the implementation and use of the 3-point seat belts. Status: Pending– Senate Judiciary Committee
South Carolina
- Bill requires defining the term “lap-shoulder seat belt” and to amend Section 59-67-40 relating to the applicability of certain requirements of public school buses to private school buses so as include lap-shoulder seat belt requirements. Status: Pending– House Education and Public Works Committee
- Bill requires defining the term “lap-shoulder seat belt” and to amend Section 59-67-40 relating to the applicability of certain requirements of public school buses to private school buses so as include lap-shoulder seat belt requirements. Status: Pending– Senate Education Committee
- Bill requires defining the term “lap seat belt” and to amend Section 59-67-40 relating to the applicability of certain requirements of public school buses to private school buses so as include lap-shoulder seat belt requirements. Status: Pending– House Education and Public Works Committee
- Bill provides that this requirement applies to the driver and occupants of school, church and daycare buses. Status: Pending– House Education and Public Works Committee
- Bill provides that this requirement applies to the driver and occupants of school, church and daycare buses. Status: Pending– House Education and Public Works Committee
Tennessee
- Bill requires any bus ordered or purchased on or after a specified date, to be equipped with a restraint system and requires any bus that is currently used to transport students to have seat belts by the specified date. Status: Pending– Senate Education Committee
- Bill holds the same requirements. Status: Pending– House Transportation Committee
Texas
- Bill relating to the use of seat belts on buses that transport children. Status: Pending– Senate Education Committee
- Bill relating to three-point seat belts on buses that transport schoolchildren. Status: Pending– House Transportation Committee
Utah
- Bill modifies the Traffic Code by requiring buses purchased after June 30, 2017 to be equipped with seatbelts. Status: Failed
Virginia
- Study focusing on the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses in the commonwealth. Report directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on every school bus in the commonwealth. Status: Failed
- Bill requires the Board of Education to make regulations to require each new public school bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equipped with a seat belt in every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure that no later than July 1, 2027, each school bus that is uses for the transportation of students is equipped with a seat belts in every seat. Status: Failed
Washington
- Bill requires safety belts on school buses. Status: Pending– Senate Transportation Committee
- The bill concerns school bus safety. Status: Pending– House Education Committee
- Bill requires safety belts on school buses. Status: Pending– Senate Ways and Means Committee
