Sponsors (3)
The bill would improve student safety and likely reduce injuries and related costs, but it shifts substantial upfront and ongoing financial and logistical burdens onto school districts, taxpayers, and under-resourced communities.
Students and children riding school buses would gain better protection from upper-body injuries because new buses would be required to have three-point (lap/shoulder) seat belts.
Fewer bus-related injuries would likely reduce medical costs and missed school days for students and families, lowering some short-term economic and social burdens.
Requiring detection, reminder, or violation technologies could improve seat-belt compliance on school buses and strengthen overall passenger safety practices.
School districts would face significant upfront capital costs to buy new buses with three-point belts or retrofit existing fleets, which could raise local taxes or divert funds from other priorities.
Retrofitting or replacing existing bus fleets could be logistically difficult and costly for under-resourced districts, creating inequities in implementation across districts and states.
Mandating three-point belts and monitoring technologies would increase ongoing maintenance and operational costs for school transportation systems.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to propose a federal rule within 180 days to require seat belts on all new school buses, considering safety evidence and belt‑detection technologies.
Official title: To require the Secretary of Transportation to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking concerning seat belts on school buses, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Josh S. Gottheimer · Last progress February 9, 2026
Requires the Department of Transportation to begin a formal rulemaking within 180 days to create federal standards that would require seat belts on all new school buses, regardless of gross vehicle weight. The rulemaking must consider safety findings (including NTSB/NHTSA conclusions), three‑point/lap‑shoulder belt designs, belt‑detection and reminder technologies, and state experience with seat belt requirements when drafting the proposal.