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Committee hears bill to require lap‑shoulder belts on new school buses, offer incentives
Summary
House Education Committee took testimony on HB 5.12, which would require lap‑shoulder belts on new school buses beginning 2026 and offer a 10% payment‑in‑lieu-of‑taxes reduction and other incentives; committee will draft an amendment and no vote was taken.
Representative Jill Kohnauer opened the hearing on House Bill 5.12, describing a proposal to require lap‑shoulder belts on school buses (effective Jan. 1, 2026) and to incorporate the Board of Public Education's 2022 standards. She said the bill includes language to remove differential retrofit costs from a 12% negotiated contract cap and creates an incentive: a 10% reduction in payment in lieu of taxes for districts that equip buses with lap‑shoulder belts.
Doug Reisig, representing a coalition of school administrators and associations, testified the measure "prioritizes student…
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