School Bus Safety Act of 2023

Summary · Congressional Research Service (nonpartisan)

This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue rules requiring school buses to have certain safety features. DOT must also establish a grant program to assist in the implementation of the requirements. Specifically, DOT must issue rules requiring school buses to include three-point safety belts for all seats, a fire suppression system which addresses engine fires, a firewall between the engine and passenger compartment that prevents hazardous quantities of gas or flames from passing through the firewall, increased performance standards for interior flammability and smoke emissions, an automatic emergency braking system, an event data recorder, and an electronic stability control system. DOT must also require at least eight hours of behind-the-wheel training for school bus operators that meets specified requirements. Further, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must issue rules on the evaluation of safety sensitive personnel for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. NHTSA must also study the benefits of requiring school buses manufactured in, or imported into, the United States to be equipped with a motion-activated detection system that is capable of detecting road users (e.g., pedestrians and bicyclists) and alerting the bus operator of their presence. NHTSA must issue rules implementing such a requirement. Finally, DOT must establish a grant program to assist local educational agencies in (1) purchasing school buses equipped with three-point safety belts or any of the other safety features required under this bill, and (2) modifying existing school buses.