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Committee approves amendment to require new school buses meet Board standards for lap-shoulder belts
Summary
House Bill 512 was amended so that new school buses purchased on or after Jan. 1, 2026 must comply with lap-shoulder-belt standards established by the Board of Public Education; committee cited past fatality and advanced the bill.
House Bill 512 would require that new school buses purchased on or after Jan. 1, 2026 be equipped with lap-shoulder belts in compliance with standards the Board of Public Education establishes. The sponsor and committee members cited a past crash in which a six-year-old girl was ejected and killed as the genesis of the bill.
The sponsor offered an amendment requested by the bill's sponsor that strikes a prescriptive equipment requirement language and instead requires compliance with Board of Public Education bus standards. Committee members, including Rep. Thane, recounted the prior fatality as rationale for requiring modern occupant-protection standards on new buses.
The amendment passed and the bill, as amended, advanced to the House floor.
