Definition: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act--
(1) The term ''bus'' means a motor vehicle with motive
power, except a trailer, designed for carrying more than 10
persons.
(2) 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, but
does not include a transit bus or a school-chartered bus.
(3) The term ''school-chartered bus'' means a bus that is
operated under a short-term contract with State or school
authorities who have acquired exclusive use of the bus at a
fixed charge in order to provide transportation for a group of
pupils to a special school-related event.
(4) 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 enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe proficiency standards for
school bus drivers who are required to possess a commercial driver's
license to operate a school bus.
(b) Exemption for Certain States.--In prescribing proficiency
standards under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide that a
State may, in lieu 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
Secretary determines that the standards of the State establish
proficiency requirements as rigorous as the proficiency requirements
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 licensing agency, or other person or agency responsible for
regulating 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 proficiency standards
established by the State concerned, as the case may be.

SEC. 4. CRIMINAL HISTORY INVESTIGATIONS OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS.

(a) Requirement for Investigations.--(1) Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, a local educational agency may not employ a person as
a driver of a school bus of or on behalf of the agency until the agency
conducts a background check under procedures that meet the guidelines
set forth in section 3(b) of the National Child Protection Act of 1993
(Public Law 103-209; 107 Stat. 2491; 42 U.S.C. 5119a(b)).
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the prohibition set forth in
paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(b) Interim Requirement.--Prior to the establishment of the
procedures referred to in subsection (a)(1), or a State's participation
in the procedures referred to in subsection (a)(1), local educational
agencies shall request the Criminal Justice Information Services
Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct a
fingerprint based check through its criminal history files, and the
Division shall comply with such a request.
(c) Definition.--In this section, the term ''local educational
agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 1471(12) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2891(12)).

SEC. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLIGENT VEHICLE-HIGHWAY SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOL
BUS SAFETY.

Section 6055(d) of the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems Act of
1991 (23 U.S.C. 307 note) is amended--
(1) by striking ''and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and
inserting ''; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
''(4) ensure that one or more operational tests advance the
use and reduce the cost of intelligent vehicle-highway system
technologies (including hazard warning systems or sensors) that
alert school bus drivers of pedestrians or vehicles in, or
approaching, the path of the school bus.''.

SEC. 6. SEAT BELTS IN SCHOOL BUSES.

(a) Requirement for Installation.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe
regulations that require that driver seat belts and passenger seat
belts (including lap safety belts or other child safety devices meeting
applicable Federal safety standards) be installed for each seating
position in any newly manufactured school bus.
(b) Promotion of Seat Belt Usage.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with
appropriate safety organizations and parent-teacher
organizations, shall conduct a program to promote and encourage
the use of seat belts in school buses.
(2) Elements of program.--In conducting the program
required under this subsection, the Secretary shall--
(A) encourage State and local governments to enact
and implement laws requiring mandatory usage of seat
belts in school buses;
(B) develop and disseminate educational materials
on the importance of using seat belts to passengers and
drivers of school buses; and
(C) recognize in an appropriate manner school
districts that achieve a high level of seat belt usage
by passengers and drivers of school buses.

SEC. 7. TRAFFIC ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall
ensure that each State receiving aid to conduct highway safety programs
under section 402(c) of title 23, United States Code, shall utilize a
portion (as determined by the Secretary) of such aid for the purpose of
conducting traffic engineering activities in order to improve the safe
operation of school buses. The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, ensure that the total amount utilized by such States for
such purpose in any fiscal year shall not be less than $1,000,000.

SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF PRACTICABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF CERTAIN
SAFETY AND ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL BUSES.

(a) Commencement of Rulemaking Process.--Not later than 6 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall begin
a rulemaking process to determine the feasibility and practicability of
the following:
(1) A requirement for a decrease in the flammability of the
materials used in the construction of the interiors of school
buses.
(2) A requirement that individuals, school districts, or
companies that sell in the secondary market school buses that
may be used in interstate commerce inform purchasers of such
buses that such buses may not meet current National Highway
Transportation Safety Administration standards or Federal
Highway Administration standards with respect to such buses.
(3) The establishment of construction and design standards
for wheelchairs used in the transportation of students in
school buses.
(b) Final Rule.--Not later than 2 years after such date, the
Secretary shall promulgate a final rule providing for any requirement
or standard referred to in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a)
that the Secretary determines to be feasible and practicable.

SEC. 9. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.

(a) Dissemination of Information.--In carrying out research on
highway safety under section 403 of title 23, United States Code, the
Secretary, in consultation with the American Automobile Association,
State educational agencies, and highway safety organizations, shall--
(1) improve the training materials on school bus safety;
and
(2) improve the distribution and availability of such
materials to schools for use by the student safety patrols of
such schools and to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
(b) Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the
funds available to the Secretary for research on highway safety and
traffic conditions under such section 403 in each of fiscal years 1995
through 2000, $100,000 shall be available in each such fiscal year for
the purposes of carrying out this section.

SEC. 10. STUDY AND REPORT ON SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.

(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a study to
determine the following:
(A) The extent to which public transit vehicles are
engaged in school bus operations.
(B) The point at which a public transit vehicle is
sufficiently engaged in such operations as to be
considered a school bus for purposes of regulation
under Federal law.
(C) The differences between school bus operations
carried out directly by schools or school districts and
school bus operations carried out by schools or school
districts by contract.
(2) Areas.--The study shall address the differences between
the services and operations referred to in paragraph (1)(C) in
terms of--
(A) crash injury data;
(B) driver and carrier requirements;
(C) passenger transportation requirements;
(D) bus construction and design standards;
(E) Federal and State operating assistance (per
passenger/per mile/per hour);
(F) total operating costs;
(G) Federal and State capital assistance (per
passenger/per mile/per hour);
(H) total capital costs; and
(I) such other factors as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(b) Report.--(1) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the committees referred to
in paragraph (2) a report on the results of the study carried out under
subsection (a).
(2) The committees referred to in paragraph (1) are the following:
(A) The Committee on Environment and Public Works of the
Senate.
(B) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate.
(C) The Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(D) The Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the
House of Representatives.
(E) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives.
(F) The Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.

SEC. 11. ESTABLISHMENT OF MINIMUM REPORTING CRITERIA FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY
PROGRAM ON TRAFFIC-RELATED DEATHS AND INJURIES.

The Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) not later than December 31, 1994, 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, 1995, and after an
opportunity for public comment, issue a final rule establishing
such criteria.

SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
Output:
School Bus Safety Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe Federal proficiency standards for school bus drivers who are required to possess a commercial driver's license to operate a school bus. Requires the Secretary, in prescribing such standards, to authorize States to establish their own proficiency standards in lieu of the Federal standards if the Secretary determines they are as rigorous as the Federal standards. Requires bus drivers to demonstrate their proficiency in operating a school bus in accordance with either the Federal or State standards.
(Sec. 4) Prohibits a local agency from employing a person as a school bus driver until it conducts a criminal background check under procedures that meet the guidelines set forth in the National Child Protection Act of 1993.
(Sec. 5) Amends the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems Act of 1991 to require the Secretary, in deciding which projects to fund under such Act, to ensure that one or more operational tests advance the use and reduce the cost of intelligent vehicle-highway system technologies (including hazard warning systems or sensors) that alert school bus drivers of pedestrians or vehicles in, or approaching, the path of a school bus.
(Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations that require driver seat belts and passenger seat belts, including lap safety belts or other child safety devices meeting applicable Federal safety standards, be installed for each seating position in any newly manufactured school bus. Requires the Secretary to conduct a program to promote the use of seat belts in school buses.
(Sec. 7) Requires the Secretary to ensure that each State receiving Federal aid to conduct highway safety programs utilizes a portion of such aid (at least $1 million per fiscal year) to conduct traffic engineering activities to improve the safe operation of school buses.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Secretary to begin a rulemaking process to determine the feasibility of certain safety and access requirements for school buses.
(Sec. 9) Requires the Secretary in carrying out highway safety research and development projects to provide for the dissemination of information on school bus safety. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 10) Requires the Secretary to conduct a study, and report the results to specified congressional committees, on school bus safety.
(Sec. 11) Requires the Secretary to: (1) issue a notice of proposed rulemaking with respect to minimum reporting criteria on traffic-related deaths and injuries under State highway safety programs; and (2) issue a final rule establishing such criteria.
(Sec. 12) Authorizes appropriations.