S. 828 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Mar 4, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryUpgrades school bus safety requirements
The Department of Transportation would have to write rules requiring school buses to have safety features like three-point seat belts for all passengers, fire suppression systems, automatic emergency braking, and motion-detection systems to alert drivers to pedestrians and cyclists. School bus drivers would need at least eight hours of behind-the-wheel training, and agencies would be screened for certain sleep disorders. The bill would also set up a grant program to help school districts buy new buses with these safety features or upgrade existing ones.
How it affects you
Students riding school buses would directly benefit from these enhanced safety features. School districts and bus operators would need to meet new training and equipment standards, and those districts could apply for grants to help cover the costs of upgrading their bus fleets.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Mar 4, 2025)
School Bus Safety Act of 2025
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue rules requiring school buses to have certain safety features. DOT must also establish a grant program to assist in the implementation of the requirements.
Specifically, DOT must issue rules requiring school buses to include
• three-point safety belts for all seats,
• a fire suppression system which addresses engine fires,
• a firewall between the engine and passenger compartment that prevents hazardous quantities of gas or flames from passing through the firewall,
• increased performance standards for interior flammability and smoke emissions,
• an automatic emergency braking system,
• an event data recorder, and
• an electronic stability control system.
DOT must also require at least eight hours of behind-the-wheel training for school bus operators that meets specified requirements.
Further, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must issue rules on the evaluation of safety sensitive personnel for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea.
NHTSA must also study 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 detecting road users (e.g., pedestrians and bicyclists) and alerting the bus operator of their presence. NHTSA must issue rules implementing such a requirement.
Finally, DOT must establish a grant program to assist local educational agencies in (1) purchasing school buses equipped with three-point safety belts or any of the other safety features required under this bill, and (2) modifying existing school buses.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 828
A BILL
School Bus Safety Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) · Introduced Mar 4, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 4, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”