Sponsor
Cory Anthony Booker
Senator · D-NJ
Senator · D-NJ
The bill would likely improve child passenger safety on school buses through required three‑point belts and detection tech but would impose meaningful costs and design impacts on districts—especially low‑income ones—unless funding or phased implementation is provided.
Students (children and youth) and their families would gain stronger crash protection because the rulemaking could require three‑point (lap/shoulder) seat belts on new school buses and promote belt-detection/reminder technologies, reducing injury risk in bus crashes.
State education agencies and local school districts would get federal technical guidance and a uniform national standard, simplifying compliance compared with a patchwork of differing state rules.
Local school districts, bus manufacturers, and taxpayers would face higher procurement and equipment costs to install three‑point belts and detection systems on new buses.
Low‑income and resource‑constrained districts could struggle to afford mandated upgrades if no federal funding is provided, which may delay bus replacements or reduce service for disadvantaged students.
School districts and students could be affected by increased vehicle weight or seating‑capacity reductions and may need bus redesigns to accommodate belts and detection systems.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to propose federal standards within 180 days to require seat belts on all new school buses and to consider specific safety evidence and technologies.
Official title: 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 Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress February 9, 2026
Requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to begin a rulemaking within 180 days to create federal standards that would require seat belts on all new school buses, regardless of vehicle weight rating. The rulemaking must consider existing safety research, NTSB and NHTSA positions, state experience, and emerging belt reminder/detection technologies. The bill does not appropriate money or create an immediate compliance deadline; it directs the agency to propose regulations and to weigh specific evidence and technologies when crafting the proposed rule.