Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7428

House Bill Would Require 3-Point Seat Belts on All New School Buses

SECURES Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

The Department of Transportation would be required to start the process of making seat belts mandatory on all new school buses. This would apply to all new buses regardless of their size or weight, ensuring every student has the same level of protection.
The focus is on "three-point" seat belts, which wrap over the shoulder and across the lap. Safety experts have found that these belts provide the best protection by keeping a child's whole body secure during a crash or sudden stop.
The government will also look at new technology, like sensors that alert the driver when a student isn't buckled in. They will study the experiences of states that already require seat belts to see what works best for keeping kids safe.
If passed, the Department of Transportation would have 180 days to publish the proposed rules. This move aims to address findings from safety boards that current bus designs without belts allow for too much body movement during accidents.

Infrastructure Transportation

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 9, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Feb 9, 2026

Introduced in House

news_articleCenter Left

New Jersey's school bus seat belt law should go national, Rep. Josh Gottheimer says

news_articleCenter Left

New Jersey's school bus seat belt law should go national, Rep. Josh Gottheimer says

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

SECURES Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7428

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

(2)

D: 1R: 1

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

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