| |
| |
| |
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to three-point seat belts on buses that transport |
|
|
schoolchildren. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 547.701, Transportation |
|
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 547.701. ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL |
|
|
BUSES AND OTHER BUSES USED TO TRANSPORT SCHOOLCHILDREN. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 547.701, Transportation Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
|
|
(e) In this subsection, "bus" includes a school bus and a |
|
|
school activity bus. A bus operated by or contracted for use by a |
|
|
school district for the transportation of schoolchildren shall be |
|
|
equipped with a three-point seat belt for each passenger, including |
|
|
the operator. This subsection applies to: |
|
|
(1) each bus purchased by a school district on or after |
|
|
September 1, 2010, for the transportation of schoolchildren; and |
|
|
(2) each school-chartered bus contracted for use by a |
|
|
school district on or after September 1, 2011, for the |
|
|
transportation of schoolchildren. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Sections 34.012, 34.013, 34.014, and 34.015 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 34.012. THREE-POINT SEAT BELT INSTRUCTION; |
|
|
INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE. (a) The State Board of Education shall |
|
|
develop and make available to each school district a program of |
|
|
instruction in the proper use of a three-point seat belt. |
|
|
(b) The State Board of Education shall serve as a |
|
|
clearinghouse of best practices for school districts seeking the |
|
|
most efficient and sensible information regarding school bus |
|
|
safety, including possible compliance with Section 547.701, |
|
|
Transportation Code, using school buses originally purchased |
|
|
without seat belts. |
|
|
Sec. 34.013. BUS SEAT BELT POLICY. A school district shall |
|
|
require a student riding a bus operated by or contracted for |
|
|
operation by the district to wear a seat belt if the bus is equipped |
|
|
with seat belts for all passengers on the bus. A school district |
|
|
may implement a disciplinary policy to enforce the use of seat belts |
|
|
by students. |
|
|
Sec. 34.014. FUNDING FOR THREE-POINT SEAT BELTS. (a) A |
|
|
person may offer to donate three-point seat belts or money for the |
|
|
purchase of three-point seat belts for a school district's school |
|
|
buses. |
|
|
(b) The board of trustees of a school district shall |
|
|
consider any offer made by a person under Subsection (a). The board |
|
|
of trustees may accept or decline the offer after adequate |
|
|
consideration. |
|
|
(c) The board of trustees may acknowledge a person who |
|
|
donates three-point seat belts or money for the purchase of |
|
|
three-point seat belts for a school bus under this section by |
|
|
displaying a small, discreet sign on the side or back of the bus |
|
|
recognizing the person who made the donation. The sign may not |
|
|
serve as an advertisement for the person who made the donation. |
|
|
Sec. 34.015. REPORTING OF BUS ACCIDENTS. (a) In this |
|
|
section, "bus" means a bus operated by or contracted for use by a |
|
|
school district to transport schoolchildren. |
|
|
(b) A school district shall report annually to the Texas |
|
|
Education Agency the number of accidents in which the district's |
|
|
buses are involved. The agency by rule shall determine the |
|
|
information to be reported, including: |
|
|
(1) the type of bus involved in the accident; |
|
|
(2) whether the bus was equipped with seat belts; |
|
|
(3) the number of students and adults involved in the |
|
|
accident; |
|
|
(4) the number and types of injuries sustained by bus |
|
|
passengers in the accident; and |
|
|
(5) whether the injured passengers were wearing seat |
|
|
belts at the time of the accident. |
|
|
(c) The Texas Education Agency shall publish the reports |
|
|
received under this section on its Internet website. |
|
|
SECTION 4. At any time before the dates prescribed in |
|
|
Section 2 of this Act, a school district may, by its own initiative |
|
|
and at its own expense, adapt any or all of its existing bus fleet |
|
|
with a three-point seat belt. |
|
|
SECTION 5. The changes made by Section 2 of this Act do not |
|
|
take effect unless the legislature appropriates money specifically |
|
|
for the purpose of reimbursing school districts for expenses |
|
|
incurred in complying with that section. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
| |
| |
| |
______________________________ |
______________________________ |
| |
President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
| |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.B. No. 323 was passed by the House on May 1, |
|
|
2007, by the following vote: Yeas 130, Nays 6, 2 present, not |
|
|
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
|
|
No. 323 on May 21, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2 |
|
|
present, not voting. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.B. No. 323 was passed by the Senate, with |
|
|
amendments, on May 17, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
|
|
0. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
APPROVED: __________________ |
|
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
__________________ |
|
|
Governor |