School Bus Safety Act Mandates Seatbelts, Auto-Braking on New Buses; Funds Upgrades

The School Bus Safety Act of 2025 aims to significantly boost safety standards for the iconic yellow buses carrying students across the country. Starting one year after the bill becomes law, it mandates several critical safety features on all new school buses weighing over 10,000 pounds. The core goal, outlined in Section 3, is to incorporate modern safety technologies and improve structural integrity to better protect passengers.

Raising the Bar: New Safety Standards Mandated

This bill requires manufacturers to equip new buses with several key upgrades. Every seating position must have a 3-point safety belt, the standard lap-and-shoulder belt common in passenger cars (Sec 2). Buses will also need automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, designed to detect potential collisions and apply brakes if the driver doesn't react quickly enough (Sec 2, Sec 3). Fire safety gets a boost too, with mandatory fire suppression systems (tackling engine fires at minimum) and updated firewalls to prevent flames or gas entering the passenger compartment (Sec 3). Furthermore, interior materials must meet stricter flammability and smoke emission standards, comparable to those used in airplanes and trains (Sec 3). Rounding out the tech mandates are event data recorders (like a plane's 'black box') and electronic stability control systems (Sec 3). Beyond the hardware, the bill also requires bus operators to complete at least 8 hours of supervised, on-road training and directs federal agencies to finalize rules on sleep apnea testing for drivers (Sec 3).

Eyes Open: Testing Future Safety Tech

Looking beyond immediate mandates, the Act pushes for research into next-generation safety features (Sec 4). Within two years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must study the effectiveness of motion-activated detection systems. Think sensors that could alert a driver if a child, pedestrian, or cyclist is dangerously close to the bus, especially in blind spots. NHTSA also needs to study systems that would alert the driver if a passenger isn't wearing their required 3-point belt. Crucially, the bill doesn't just ask for studies; it requires NHTSA to issue rules mandating these systems on new buses within a year after each study concludes, assuming the findings support their benefit.

Paying the Fare: Grants to Help Schools Upgrade

Recognizing that safety upgrades cost money, the bill establishes a federal grant program within a year of enactment (Sec 5). The Department of Transportation will provide funds to states, which will then distribute grants to local school districts. These grants are specifically earmarked to help districts purchase new school buses equipped with the safety features mandated in Section 3 or studied in Section 4, or to modify existing buses to include these features, such as retrofitting 3-point belts. This funding mechanism aims to ease the financial burden on local communities trying to meet higher safety standards, whether buying new or upgrading their current fleet.