That is the big question facing legislators.
New Jersey goes even further by requiring the seat belts to be used.
Another 30 states are considering seat belt legislation for school buses. The pros and cons of safety belts on large school buses have been passionately contested for some time, but recent serious accidents have heightened the call for belts. Last year, the National Parent-Teacher Association for the first time adopted a resolution calling for all new school buses to have lap belts. The American Medical Association, Physicians for Automotive Safety, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and other medical groups also endorse seat belts. Advocates of seat belts on buses say that belts provide improved crash protection and are especially beneficial in side impacts and roll-over accidents.