I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6016 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the development of a 
bus operations safety risk reduction program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 6, 2018 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself, Mr. KATKO, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mr. PAYNE, and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the devel-
opment of a bus operations safety risk reduction pro-
gram, 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 ‘‘Bus Operator and Pe-
destrian Protection Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. BUS OPERATIONS SAFETY RISK REDUCTION PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY PROGRAM 
SECTION.—Section 5329 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(l) BUS OPERATIONS SAFETY RISK REDUCTION 
PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall require each recipient that oper-
ates fixed route bus service to— 
‘‘(A) develop a risk reduction program for 
bus operations under paragraph (2) to improve 
safety by reducing the number and rates of ac-
cidents, injuries, assaults on bus operators, and 
fatalities; 
‘‘(B) submit the program, including the 
implementation plan required under paragraph 
(3), to the Secretary for review and approval; 
and 
‘‘(C) implement the program and plans ap-
proved by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM.—A recipient 
required to develop and submit a risk reduction pro-
gram for bus operations under paragraph (1)— 
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‘‘(A) shall develop such program by con-
ducting risk analysis on the bus operations of 
the recipient; 
‘‘(B) may incorporate such program into 
an applicable comprehensive safety plan that 
such recipient prepares pursuant to subsection 
(d), if all requirements under this subsection 
are addressed in the recipient’s comprehensive 
safety plan; and 
‘‘(C) shall develop such program in co-
operation with bus operators and collective bar-
gaining representatives of bus operators, includ-
ing the development of— 
‘‘(i) the risk analysis required under 
subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(ii) implementation plans required 
under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN.—Each risk re-
duction program for bus operations under paragraph 
(1) shall include an implementation plan for— 
‘‘(A) reduction of vehicular and pedestrian 
accidents involving buses that includes— 
‘‘(i) deployment of driver assistance 
technologies for bus operators that reduce 
or prevent accidents; and 
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‘‘(ii) measures to reduce visibility im-
pairments for bus operators that con-
tribute to accidents, including retrofits to 
buses in revenue service and specifications 
for future procurements that reduce visi-
bility impairments; 
‘‘(B) bus operator assault mitigation, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(i) the deployment of assault mitiga-
tion infrastructure and technology on 
buses, including barriers to restrict the un-
wanted entry of individuals and objects 
into bus operators’ workstations when a re-
cipient’s risk analysis determines that such 
barriers would reduce assaults and injuries 
to bus operators; and 
‘‘(ii) conflict de-escalation training for 
bus operators; 
‘‘(C) installation of seating and modifica-
tion to design specifications of bus operator 
workstations that reduce or prevent injuries 
from ergonomic risks; and 
‘‘(D) other measures that the Secretary de-
termines would significantly reduce the number 
and rate of accidents, injuries, assaults on bus 
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operators, and fatalities related to bus oper-
ations; 
‘‘(4) UPDATING
REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall require each recipient required to de-
velop a program under paragraph (1) to— 
‘‘(A) update such program annually; and 
‘‘(B) resubmit such program for approval 
by the Secretary not less than once every 3 
years.’’. 
(b) FAST ACT.—Section 3022(a) of the Fixing 
America’s Surface Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 5329 
note) is amended by adding the following new sentence: 
‘‘Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of the Bus Operator and Pedestrian Protection Act, the 
Secretary shall issue a final rule regarding the protection 
of public transportation operators from the risk of as-
sault.’’ 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AMOUNT AND DURATION.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out implementation plans 
under the risk reduction program described in section 
5329(l) of title 49, United States Code, as added by sec-
tion 2 of this Act, $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2019 through 2023. 
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(b) FORMULA.—Of the amounts made available to 
carry out this subsection for a fiscal year— 
(1) 80 percent shall be distributed under the 
formula set forth in section 5336 of title 49, United 
States Code, other than subsection (b) of such sec-
tion; and 
(2) 20 percent shall be distributed under the 
formula set forth in section 5311(c)(3) of such title. 
SEC. 4. OPERATOR ASSAULT DATA. 
Section 5335 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) OPERATOR ASSAULT DATA.— 
‘‘(1) REPORT.—The recipient of a grant under 
this chapter shall report to the Secretary, for inclu-
sion in the National Transit Database, any informa-
tion on each assault on an operator. 
‘‘(2) OTHER
REPORTS.—A report required 
under paragraph (1) shall be separate from the re-
porting on other safety incidents in the National 
Transit Database. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this sub-
section: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘assault on an operator’ 
means any circumstance when an individual 
knowingly and without lawful authority or per-
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mission with intent to endanger the safety or 
health of any individual, or with a reckless dis-
regard for the safety or health of human life, 
interferes with, disables, or incapacitates any 
dispatcher, driver, captain, locomotive engineer, 
railroad conductor, or other individual while the 
individual is employed in dispatching, operating, 
controlling, or maintaining on-track equipment 
or a public transportation vehicle, including cir-
cumstances that do not require immediate med-
ical attention or that do not result in a fatality. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘recipient’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 5329(a).’’. 
Æ 
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