Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 29, 2021
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
a three-point safety belt at each designated seating position,
a fire suppression system which addresses engine fires,
a firewall that prohibits hazardous quantities of gas or flame to pass through the firewall from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment,
an automatic emergency braking system,
an event data recorder, and
an electronic stability control system.
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.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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