Oklahoma House Bill 1244 would require school buses to be equipped with seatbelts or harnesses. If passed, it would make Oklahoma the 10th state to require safety restraint systems.
HB1244, introduced by Rep. Judd Strom, would require all new vehicles that transport 10 passengers or more and are purchased or contracted for use by school districts to be equipped with seatbelts or harnesses for every passenger. The bill does not differentiate between three-point lap/shoulder or two-point lap belts.
The bill states that every related vehicle would need the words “SCHOOL BUS” painted on the front and rear of the vehicle. HB1244 would apply to vehicles purchased or contracted for use by the effective date of July 1, 2025, ensuring the vehicles would be certified by the start of next school year.
Currently, nine other states require school bus seatbelts: Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. Louisiana has been unable to fully implement the law to install lap belts due to insufficient funding. Arkansas, while requiring lap/shoulder seatbelts, first requires local voters to approve property tax increases to pay for them.
Meanwhile, Florida’s law requires two-point belts and New York allows school boards to decide if they want to provide lap or lap/shoulder seatbelts and does not mandate students to use them.
All other states require lap/shoulder seatbelts.
Read more about seatbelt usage and laws at the footer of stnonline.com, in the resources section.
“The addition of seatbelts for students riding to school or school events on our school buses would put parents’ minds at ease and provide an important layer of security for Oklahoma students,” Strom said. “By implementing this proposed requirement, we would not only be in the small number of states that are on the forefront of aligning Oklahoma with school bus seatbelt requirements but also give parents greater peace of mind knowing their children are as safe as possible during their daily commute.”
The bill will be eligible for consideration in the upcoming legislative session, beginning on Feb. 3.
