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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 safety" and urged support, noting the bill would also require enforceable, publicly available district policies mandating belt use and ongoing maintenance. McCall Flynn of the Board of Public Education said the Board helped draft the amendment and clarified the Board's rules: "Our rules say that from 2022 ... if they are buying a new school bus and it does have the lap shoulder belts, then that needs to be required through our standards," and cautioned the amendment should not be misconstrued.
Committee members examined fiscal mechanics and retrofit feasibility. Sponsor and Board staff pointed to a one‑time $2,500 programming cost to track the PILOT incentive through the Department of Motor Vehicles and an ongoing small savings (~$610) from the 10% PILOT reduction; witnesses estimated outfitting a bus with lap‑shoulder belts at $7,000–$12,000 depending on size, while large new buses can cost about $185,000. The sponsor also noted that one manufacturer (Bluebird) said it will no longer sell buses without seatbelts.
Members discussed federal standards and retrofitting limits. Board staff referenced federal motor vehicle school safety standards and committee members asked about large buses over 10,000 pounds; sponsor said the Board’s rules and NTSBA recommendations inform how and when belts should be used on larger vehicles. Rep. Kohnauer said the bill aims to incentivize districts and require enforceable policies to ensure belt use, noting past examples where ridership was made a privilege to enforce compliance.
The committee did not take a vote. Members asked staff to draft the sponsor's amendment (which incorporates Board rules and clarifications) for consideration at executive action. Representative Kohnauer closed the hearing and the committee adjourned.
