Sponsors (30)
Official title: To amend title 49, United States Code, to set requirements for certain operator workstations for fixed route buses, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Shomari C. Figures · Last progress December 11, 2025
The bill raises the baseline safety and protection for bus drivers and riders through mandatory full-height driver barriers on federally funded large buses, but it increases acquisition costs, creates potential design and implementation safety risks, leaves rural systems unequal, and allows waiver mechanisms that could weaken uniform protections.
Transit operators (bus drivers) will receive increased physical protection from assaults and unwanted intrusions because new large buses funded under the bill must have full-height, enclosed driver barriers.
Passengers and drivers will likely experience fewer driver distractions and interruptions, which can improve on-time performance and rider safety.
Local governments and transit systems that receive federal funds will see standardized safety improvements because the federal requirement raises the baseline design for buses purchased with federal assistance.
Local transit agencies and taxpayers will face higher procurement and retrofit costs to buy buses compliant with the barrier requirement, which could raise local matching needs or force cuts to other services.
Drivers and riders could face new safety risks if barriers create blind spots or ergonomic issues that impair operator visibility or control when designs are poorly implemented.
Rural transit workers and riders will not receive the same protections because purchases funded under §5311 (rural transit) are excluded, producing uneven safety coverage between urban and rural systems.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires full-height enclosed operator workstation barriers on most new federally funded fixed-route buses ≥30 ft with 10+ year life, effective two years after enactment, with a labor-certified waiver option.
Requires most new federally funded fixed-route buses 30 feet or longer to include full-height, floor-to-ceiling enclosed operator workstation barriers that block unauthorized entry, fluids, and objects while preserving the driver’s exterior sight lines. The requirement applies to purchases made with Federal funds (with a specific exclusion for funds under 49 U.S.C. §5311) starting two years after enactment, with an allowance for waiver if the frontline workforce’s labor organization certifies agreement to waive. The change is implemented by adding a new subsection to 49 U.S.C. §5329 and shifts existing subsection lettering accordingly. It focuses narrowly on vehicle design standards for new purchases and sets a clear compliance timeline and limited waiver process tied to labor organization certification.