BUSES Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1135
Sponsor: Rep. Shuster, Bill [R-PA-9]
Introduced: 2009-02-23 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business investment and capital
Department of Transportation
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Income tax credits
Licensing and registrations
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Small business
Transportation employees
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: 
Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety Act of 2009 or the BUSES Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to require: (1) monitoring of the safety performance of motorcoach service providers and other commercial motor carriers of passengers; and (2) progressive interventions to correct unsafe practices, and if they are not corrected, an enforcement action. Authorizes the Secretary to organize special enforcement strike forces to target commercial motor vehicle operators when appropriate.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) prescribe regulations to establish minimum training requirements for motorcoach drivers; (2) review testing requirements for a commercial driver's license passenger endorsement; (3) develop requirements for the testing of medical examiners who examine commercial motor vehicle operators for physical fitness and seek to be listed in the national registry; (4) review annually the implementation of the commercial driver's license requirements of at least 10 states to assess the validity of physical examination reports and medical certificates submitted by certified medical examiners; and (5) establish the national registry of medical examiners. 
 
Sets forth additional Medical Review Board functions.
 
Requires the Secretary to review and report to Congress on federal commercial motor vehicle safety inspection standards.
 
Revises federal motor carrier registration requirements.
 
Directs the Secretary to prescribe federal motor vehicle safety standards for occupant protection systems for new and existing motorcoaches. 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a qualified motorcoach safety credit to a taxpayer for the costs of new and existing motorcoaches to comply with the federal motor vehicle safety standards.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide grants (not to exceed $20,000 per vehicle) to motorcoach operators to assist with the cost of retrofitting motorcoaches in order to comply with such federal standards.
 
Amends the Small Business Act to grant the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) the authority to make SBA loans and loan guarantees to motorcoach operators to retrofit their buses and motorcoaches for occupant protection.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-02-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2009-02-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulations, Health Care, and Trade.
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Referred to House Small Business
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Small Business, 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.
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-02-23
text: Introduced in House