Safe Bus Routes to School Act
S. 4488119th Congress

Safe Bus Routes to School Act

Introduced in the SenateSen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)29 sections · 1 min read
Version: Introduced in Senate · May 12, 2026

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Safe Bus Routes to School Act.

(a) In general

Section 208 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:

(3) School bus route

The term school bus route means a designated course regularly traveled by a school bus for to-and-from transportation to pick up students and take them to school or to deliver students from school to their homes or to designated bus stops that are approved by the local education agency.;

(2) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (2), by striking and after the semicolon at the end;

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting; and; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

(4) to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will support safer school bus routes and stops.; and

(3) in subsection (g)—

(A) in paragraph (1)(A)—

(i) by striking the period at the end and inserting; and;

(ii) by striking may be used for the planning and inserting the following: “may be used for—

(i) the planning; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

(ii) the planning, design, and construction of infrastructure-related projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to safely wait for and take a school bus to and from school, including sidewalk improvements, traffic calming and speed reduction improvements, pedestrian crossing improvements, waiting areas at bus stops, and traffic diversion improvements on a school bus route.; and

(B) in paragraph (2)(A)—

(i) by striking the period at the end and inserting; and;

(ii) by striking noninfrastructure-related activities to encourage and inserting the following: “noninfrastructure-related activities—

(i) to encourage; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

(ii) to encourage safe school bus ridership, including public awareness campaigns and outreach to press and community leaders, traffic education and enforcement in the vicinity of school bus routes, and student sessions on school bus safety rules.

(b) Highway safety improvement program

Section 148(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (4)(B)—

(A) by redesignating clause (xxix) as clause (xxx);

(B) by inserting after clause (xxviii) the following:

(xxix) Safe routes to school infrastructure-related projects described in section 208(g)(1).; and

(C) in clause (xxx) (as redesignated), by striking (xxviii) and inserting (xxix); and

(2) in paragraph (11)(B)(i), by inserting and school bus stop safety after road users.

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