Bill > H2161

This bill mandates that starting two years after its effective date, all children riding on school buses must wear properly adjusted and fastened lap-shoulder belts, and if a bus is already equipped with such a restraint system, children must use it before that two-year deadline. The bill also requires that school buses be equipped with lap-shoulder belt systems approved by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a federal agency that sets vehicle safety standards, and installed according to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) safety standards, with this becoming mandatory two years after the act's effective date. Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for insurance rate reductions for school buses equipped with these approved lap-shoulder belts, and it clarifies that school bus operators will not be held liable for damages if a passenger is not wearing the required restraint system.