I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7306 

To improve the safety of school buses, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 24, 2020 

Mr. CRIST (for himself and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 

in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Energy and 

Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To improve the safety of school buses, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Best to Use Safety 

5 Belts Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘BUS Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SEAT BELT REQUIREMENT FOR SCHOOL BUSES. 

7 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Section 30125 of title 49, 

8 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

9 following: 


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1 ‘‘(d) SEAT BELTS REQUIRED.—A person may not 

2 manufacture for sale, sell, offer for sale, introduce or de3 liver for introduction in interstate commerce, or import 

4 into the United States a schoolbus that is not equipped 

5 with a seat belt that includes both lap and shoulder belts 

6 for each intended passenger. A violation of this subsection 

7 shall be treated as a violation of a motor vehicle safety 

8 standard prescribed under section 30111 of this sub9 chapter.’’. 

10 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

11 subsection (a) shall take effect 90 days after the date of 

12 enactment of this Act. 

13 SEC. 3. SCHOOL BUS SAFETY UPGRADES GRANT PROGRAM. 

14 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

15 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans16 portation shall establish a program to provide school buses 

17 with seat belts and other safety features. 

18 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY AND ELIGIBLE RECIPI19 ENTS.—In carrying out the program established under 

20 subsection (a), the Secretary may make a grant, on a com21 petitive basis, to a State educational agency and a local 

22 educational agency (as such terms are defined in section 

23 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

24 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)). 


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1 (c) GRANT USES.—A recipient of a grant made under 

2 subsection (b) may use grant funds only to— 

3 (1) retrofit a school bus with seat belts; or 

4 (2) make another safety upgrade to a school 

5 bus that demonstrably decreases the risk of injury or 

6 death to students in the event of an impact or roll7 over, including an upgrade designed to prevent a 

8 rollover. 

9 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

10 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the program 

11 established under subsection (a) $3,000,000,000. 

12 (e) TERMINATION.—The program established under 

13 subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 2 years 

14 after the date on which the program is established. 

Æ 


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