I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1884
To provide for school bus safety, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 16, 1995
Mr. TRAFICANT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Com-
mittees on Economic and Educational Opportunities and the Judiciary,
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 provide for school bus safety, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘School Bus Safety
Act’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) BUS.—The term ‘‘bus’’ means a motor vehi-
cle with motive power, except a trailer, designed for
carrying more than 10 persons.
(2) SCHOOL
BUS.—The term ‘‘school bus’’
means a bus that is used for purposes that include
carrying pupils to and from public or private school
or school-related events on a regular basis.
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Transportation.
SEC. 3. PROFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL BUS
DRIVERS.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall pre-
scribe proficiency standards for school bus drivers who are
required to possess a commercial driver’s license to oper-
ate a school bus.
(b) EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN STATES.—In prescrib-
ing proficiency standards under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall provide that a State may, instead of utilizing
such proficiency standards, utilize proficiency standards
established by the State before the date of the prescription
of efficiency standards under subsection (a) if the Sec-
retary determines that the standards of the State establish
proficiency requirements as rigorous as the proficiency re-
quirements established under the standards prescribed
under subsection (a).
(c) DEMONSTRATION OF PROFICIENCY.—Upon the
prescription of standards under subsection (a), each school
bus driver referred to in subsection (a) shall demonstrate
(at such interval as the Secretary shall prescribe) to the
employer of the driver, the school district, the State licens-
ing agency, or other person or agency responsible for regu-
lating school bus drivers the proficiency of such driver in
operating a school bus in accordance with the proficiency
standards prescribed under subsection (a) or the pro-
ficiency standards established by the State concerned, as
the case may be.
SEC. 4. GUIDELINES FOR SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF CHIL-
DREN BY SCHOOL BUS.
The Administrator of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration shall develop and disseminate
guidelines on the safe transportation in school buses of
children under the age of 5. Such guidelines shall include
recommendations for the evacuation of such children from
such buses in the event of an emergency.
SEC. 5. IMPROVED INTERSTATE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.
(a) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER
SAFETY REGULATIONS TO INTERSTATE SCHOOL BUS OP-
ERATIONS.—Section 31136 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended—
(1) by striking the second sentence of sub-
section (e); and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(g) APPLICABILITY TO SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION
OPERATIONS
OF LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES.—Not
later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of
this subsection, the Secretary shall issue regulations mak-
ing the relevant commercial motor carrier safety regula-
tions issued under subsection (a) applicable to all inter-
state school transportation operations by local educational
agencies (as defined in section 14101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965).’’.
(b) EDUCATION PROGRAM.—Not later than 6 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall develop and implement an education program in-
forming all local educational agencies (as defined in sec-
tion 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965) that they must comply with the Federal com-
mercial motor vehicle safety regulations issued under sec-
tion 31136 of title 49, United States Code, when providing
interstate transportation on a school bus vehicle to and
from school-sanctioned and school-related activities.
(c) COMPLIANCE REPORTS.—Each year for the first
4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress by June 1 a report
describing in detail the status of compliance by private