School Bus Safety Act of 2021
Bill: S.2539 | Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy (D-IL)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
School Bus Safety Act of 2021
This bill addresses safety features for school buses.
Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement rules requiring school buses to include
DOT must also establish a grant program to assist local educational agencies to purchase school buses equipped with three-point safety belts or any of the other safety features under this bill and assist them in modifying existing school buses to be equipped with such features.

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue rules requiring the 
   inclusion of new safety equipment in school buses, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``School Bus Safety Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) 3-point safety belt.--The term ``3-point safety belt'' 
        has the meaning given the term ``Type 2 seat belt assembly'' in 
        section 571.209 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (as in 
        effect on the date of enactment of this Act).
            (2) Automatic emergency braking system.--The term 
        ``automatic emergency braking system'' means a crash avoidance 
        system installed and operational in a vehicle that consists 
        of--
                    (A) a forward collision warning function--
                            (i) to detect vehicles and objects ahead of 
                        the vehicle; and
                            (ii) to alert the operator of the vehicle 
                        of an impending collision; and
                    (B) a crash-imminent braking function to provide 
                automatic braking when forward-looking sensors of the 
                vehicle indicate that--
                            (i) a crash is imminent; and
                            (ii) the operator of the vehicle is not 
                        reacting in a timely or appropriate manner.
            (3) Event data recorder.--The term ``event data recorder'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 563.5(b) of title 49, 
        Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
        enactment of this Act).
            (4) School bus.--The term ``school bus'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``schoolbus'' in section 30125(a) of title 49, 
        United States Code.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.

    (a) Seat Belt Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue final rules 
prescribing or amending motor vehicle safety standards under chapter 
301 of title 49, United States Code, to require school buses with a 
gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 10,000 pounds to be 
equipped with a 3-point safety belt at each designated seating 
position.
    (b) Fire Protection Requirements.--
            (1) Fire suppression systems.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
                issue rules prescribing or amending motor vehicle 
                safety standards under chapter 301 of title 49, United 
                States Code, to require school buses to be equipped 
                with fire suppression systems that, at a minimum, 
                address engine fires.
                    (B) Application.--The standards prescribed or 
                amendments made under subparagraph (A) shall apply to 
                school buses manufactured in, or imported into, the 
                United States on or after the effective date of the 
                standards or amendments.
            (2) Firewalls.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
                issue rules prescribing or amending motor vehicle 
                safety standards under chapter 301 of title 49, United 
                States Code, for school buses, especially school buses 
                with engines that extend beyond the firewall, to ensure 
                that no hazardous quantity of gas or flame can pass 
                through the firewall from the engine compartment to the 
                passenger compartment.
                    (B) Application.--The standards prescribed or 
                amendments made under subparagraph (A) shall apply to 
                school buses manufactured in, or imported into, the 
                United States on or after the effective date of the 
                standards or amendments.
            (3) Interior flammability and smoke emissions 
        characteristics.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall amend section 
        571.302 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to 
        Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 302), to adopt, 
        with respect to a motor vehicle (as defined in section 30102(a) 
        of title 49, United States Code), performance standards for 
        interior flammability and smoke emissions characteristics that 
        are not less rigorous than the performance standards for 
        interior flammability and smoke emissions characteristics 
        applicable to--
                    (A) a compartment occupied by the crew or 
                passengers of a transport category airplane (within the 
                meaning of part 25 of title 14, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of 
                this Act)) under section 25.853 of title 14, Code of 
                Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
                enactment of this Act); and
                    (B) a passenger car or locomotive cab (as those 
                terms are defined in section 238.5 of title 49, Code of 
                Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
                enactment of this Act)) under section 238.103 of title 
                49, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the 
                date of enactment of this Act).
    (c) Other Safety Equipment Requirements.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 
final rules--
            (1) prescribing or amending motor vehicle safety standards 
        under chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, to require 
        school buses to be equipped with--
                    (A) an automatic emergency braking system;
                    (B) an event data recorder; and
                    (C) an electronic stability control system (as 
                defined in section 571.136 of title 49, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of 
                this Act)); and
            (2) amending part 383 of title 49, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, to require not less than 30 hours of behind-the-
        wheel instruction for operators of school buses, which shall be 
        accrued--
                    (A) on public roads; and
                    (B) with a trained instructor who possesses a valid 
                commercial driver's license with a school bus 
                endorsement.
    (d) Obstructive Sleep Apnea.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration and the Administrator of the Federal 
Railroad Administration shall complete the rulemaking process and 
publish a final rule with respect to the advance notice of proposed 
rulemaking entitled ``Evaluation of Safety Sensitive Personnel for 
Moderate-to-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea'' (81 Fed. Reg. 12642 (March 
10, 2016)).
    (e) Effective Date.--The standards prescribed or amendments made 
under subsections (a) and (c) shall apply with respect to school buses 
manufactured in, or imported into, the United States on or after the 
date that is 1 year after the date on which the Secretary issues the 
rules required under the applicable subsection.

SEC. 4. STUDIES.

    (a) Motion-Activated Detection Systems.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National 
        Highway Traffic Safety Administration (referred to in this 
        section as the ``Administrator'') shall complete a study with 
        respect to the benefits of requiring school buses manufactured 
        in, or imported into, the United States to be equipped with a 
        motion-activated detection system that is capable of--
                    (A) detecting pedestrians, bicyclists, and other 
                road users located near the exterior of the school bus; 
                and
                    (B) alerting the operator of the school bus of the 
                road users described in subparagraph (A).
            (2) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
        which the Administrator completes the study under paragraph 
        (1), the Administrator shall issue rules requiring school buses 
        manufactured in, or imported into, the United States to 
        effectuate that requirement.
    (b) Safety Belt Alert.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall complete a study on the 
benefits of requiring school buses manufactured in, or imported into, 
the United States to be equipped with a system to alert the operator of 
the school bus if a passenger in the school bus is not wearing a 3-
point safety belt equipped on the school bus.

SEC. 5. SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish a grant 
program to provide grants to States to make subgrants to local 
educational agencies--
            (1) to assist the local educational agencies in purchasing 
        school buses equipped with--
                    (A) 3-point safety belts at each designated seating 
                position; or
                    (B) any other school bus safety feature described 
                in section 3 or 4; and
            (2) to assist the local educational agencies in modifying 
        school buses already owned by the local educational agency to 
        be equipped with--
                    (A) 3-point safety belts at each designated seating 
                position; or
                    (B) any other school bus safety feature described 
                in section 3 or 4.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
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