School Bus Safety Act of 2025
School Bus Safety Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# School Bus Safety Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What It Would Do:** This bill would require the Department of Transportation to establish new safety standards for school buses and create a grant program to help pay for these upgrades. The required safety features include three-point seatbelts for all passengers, automatic emergency braking systems, fire suppression and prevention features (like firewalls and fire-resistant interior materials), event data recorders (similar to "black boxes" on airplanes), and electronic stability control. The bill would also mandate that school bus drivers complete at least eight hours of specialized behind-the-wheel training. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily affects school children who ride buses, as well as school districts and transportation departments responsible for purchasing and maintaining buses. Bus drivers would need additional training requirements.
School districts would face costs to retrofit existing buses or purchase new ones with these safety features, though federal grants would help offset expenses. **Current Status:** The bill (S. 828) was introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate. It would need to pass committee review, full Senate approval, and House approval before becoming law.
CRS Official Summary
School Bus Safety Act of 2025This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue rules requiring school buses to have certain safety features. DOT must also establish a grant program to assist in the implementation of the requirements.Specifically, DOT must issue rules requiring school buses to includethree-point safety belts for all seats,a fire suppression system which addresses engine fires,a firewall between the engine and passenger compartment that prevents hazardous quantities of gas or flames from passing through the firewall,increased performance standards for interior flammability and smoke emissions,an automatic emergency braking system,an event data recorder, andan electronic stability control system.DOT must also require at least eight hours of behind-the-wheel training for school bus operators that meets specified requirements.Further, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must issue rules on the evaluation of safety sensitive personnel for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea.NHTSA must also study the benefits of requiring school buses manufactured in, or imported into, the United States to be equipped with a motion-activated detection system that is capable of detecting road users (e.g., pedestrians and bicyclists) and alerting the bus operator of their presence. NHTSA must issue rules implementing such a requirement.Finally, DOT must establish a grant program to assist local educational agencies in (1) purchasing school buses equipped with three-point safety belts or any of the other safety features required under this bill, and (2) modifying existing school buses.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.