NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2007

Texas Senate OK's School Bus Seat Belt Bill
May 17, 2007

Down the road, school buses would have to be equipped with seat belts under legislation approved today in the Texas Senate.

The bill would apply to buses purchased on or after September first of 2010.

Charter buses that transport schoolchildren would also have to be equipped with seat belts -- but by September first of 2011.

School districts would have to require students to wear their seat belts and would be allowed to implement a disciplinary policy to punish children who break the rule.

The bill was inspired by the March 2006 deaths of 2 Beaumont West Brook High School high school students. The girls were killed when the chartered bus carrying their soccer team -- overturned.

The victims were 18-year-old Alicia Bonura and 16-year-old Ashley Brown.

The Texas House of Representatives passed HB 323 which requires Texas schools to purchase buses with three-point lap-shoulder belts for passengers after 2010. The legislation also requires Texas schools to use only chartered motorcoach buses with three-point lap-shoulder belts after 2014.

After being passed in the House, HB 323 was then sent to the Senate for consideration. The bill has been voted favorably out of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee without any opposition and is expected to receive a vote on the floor of the Senate in the coming days before the end of this legislation session.

HB 323 is a great piece of legislation that will help protect our children in the future as they travel on our roads to/from school and to other events.

I urge everyone to contact their State Senator in support of this legislation, also known as "Ashley and Alicia's Bill".

Arthur L. Yeager, DMD, MMH

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