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Congress·In Committee·S. 3806

Senate Bill Would Require Seat Belts on All New School Buses

SECURES Act of 2026

about 1 month ago·View on Congress.gov
Part of: Senator Booker Introduces National School Bus Safety Legislation

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill would require the Department of Transportation to start the process of making seat belts mandatory on all new school buses. Within 180 days of the bill becoming law, officials would have to release a formal plan for these new safety rules.
  • The rules would apply to all new school buses, no matter how much they weigh. Currently, federal law only requires seat belts on smaller school buses, while larger buses often rely on padded seats to protect students during a crash.
  • The proposal specifically looks at three-point lap and shoulder belts, which are the same kind found in regular cars. Safety experts say these provide the best protection because they keep a student's upper body from moving too much during an accident.
  • Government officials would also look into new technology for buses, such as sensors that tell the driver if a student isn't buckled up or reminder systems that alert children to put their belts on.
  • This move follows recommendations from national safety boards and the experiences of several states that already require seat belts on their buses. The goal is to create a single safety standard for all children across the country.
Infrastructure Transportation

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

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

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 9, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Feb 9, 2026

Introduced in Senate

2 Articles

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

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

SECURES Act of 2026

Bill NumberS 3806
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.