(i) such fees are collected on a uni-
form basis; and
(ii) the amounts collected reflect only
the actual cost to the State agency of pro-
viding assistance in the conduct of back-
ground checks.
(2) FEES IMPOSED BY FEDERAL BUREAU OF
INVESTIGATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Bureau of
Investigation may impose and collect fees for
the provision of assistance in the conduct of
checks under this section. The amount of such
fees may not exceed the actual cost to the Fed-
eral Bureau of Investigation of providing such
assistance.
(B) MONITORING.—The Attorney General
shall monitor the collection of fees under this
paragraph for purposes of ensuring that—
(i) such fees are collected on a uni-
form basis; and
(ii) the amounts collected reflect only
the actual cost to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation of providing assistance in the
conduct of background checks.
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply:
(1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given
such term in section 14101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(2) 
NATIONAL
CRIMINAL
HISTORY
BACK-
GROUND
CHECK
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘national
criminal history background check system’’ has the
meaning given such term in section 5(6) of the Na-
tional Child Protection Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
5119c(6)).
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(g) APPLICABILITY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), this section shall apply to the new em-
ployment of persons by local educational agencies or
contractors beginning on the later of—
(A) the date that is 60 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act; or
(B) the date on which the State in which
the agencies or contractors are located estab-
lishes the procedures required under subsection
(c).
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—During the period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending
on the date of the applicability of this section to a
local educational agency or contractor under para-
graph (1), the local educational agency or contractor
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, request
that the Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct a
background check with fingerprints of each person
newly employed by the local educational agency or
contractor as a school bus driver of or on behalf of
the local educational agency.
(h) FUNDING.—
(1) VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Sec-
tion 4116(b)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7116(b)(5)) is
amended by striking ‘‘and neighborhood patrols’’
and inserting ‘‘neighborhood patrols, and criminal
background checks of potential drivers of school
buses under section 5 of the School Bus Safety
Act.’’.
(2) INNOVATIVE
EDUCATION
ASSISTANCE.—
Section 6301(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7351(b)) is
amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (7);
(B) by striking the period at the end of
paragraph (8) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(9) the carrying out of criminal background
checks of potential drivers of school buses under sec-
tion 4 of the School Bus Safety Act.’’.
SEC. 8. ESTABLISHMENT OF MINIMUM REPORTING CRI-
TERIA FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM ON
TRAFFIC-RELATED DEATHS AND INJURIES.
The Secretary of Transportation shall—
(1) not later than December 31, 1998, issue a
notice of proposed rulemaking with respect to the
minimum reporting criteria required under the tenth
sentence of section 402(a) of title 23, United States
Code; and
(2) not later than December 31, 1998, and
after an opportunity for public comment, issue a
final rule establishing such criteria.
SEC. 9. SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 3 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into
an agreement with the Transportation Research Board of
the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of
the safety issues attendant to transportation of school chil-
dren to and from school and school-related activities by
various transportation modes.
(b) TERMS OF AGREEMENT.—The agreement entered
into in subsection (a) shall provide that—
(1) the Transportation Research Board, in con-
ducting the study, consider—
(A) in consultation with the National
Transportation Safety Board, the Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, and other relevant
entities, available crash injury data, and if un-
available or insufficient, recommend a new data
collection regimen and implementation guide-
lines; and
(B) vehicle design and driver training re-
quirements, routing, and operational factors
that affect safety and other factors that the
Secretary considers appropriate; and
(2) the panel conducting the study shall include
representatives of highway safety organizations,
school transportation, mass transportation providers,
employee organizations, academic and policy ana-
lysts, and other interested parties.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the
date of entry into the agreement under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs of the Senate a report containing the results of the
study.
SEC. 10. PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSESS BENEFITS OF EQUIP-
PING 
SCHOOL 
BUSES 
WITH 
SAFETY 
RE-
STRAINT DEVICES.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall carry out
a pilot program to assess the benefits of equipping school
buses with Aaron Gordon type flight attendant double
shoulder harness mechanisms or other safety restraint de-
vices providing equal or greater passenger protection.
(b) GRANTS.—In carrying out the program, the Sec-
retary may make grants to one school district for equip-
ping school buses in the district with safety restraint de-
vices described in subsection (a).
(c) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost
of a project carried out using a grant under subsection
(b) may not exceed 50 percent of such cost.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
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