Texas School Bus Safety Laws: Seatbelt Requirements and Updates

Texas School Bus Seatbelt Legislation

• 📌 In 2017, Texas passed Senate Bill 693, mandating three-point seatbelts on all school buses manufactured in 2018 and later.
• ⚠️ However, this law did not require districts to retrofit older buses, and school boards could cite budget limitations to opt out of the requirement for new buses.

Expansion of Seatbelt Law

• 🚀 A new bill, Senate Bill 546, filed by Senator Jose Mendez, aims to expand the seatbelt requirement to all school buses, including older models.
• 💰 This updated law explicitly removes budget limitations as an excuse for non-compliance.
• 🗓️ While signed into law by Governor Abbott, enforcement of this expanded requirement is deferred until September 2029.

Current District Practices

• 🚍 Some districts, like Cleveland ISD, already have seatbelts on all their school buses, which is perfectly legal.
• 🔍 The legality of districts not having seatbelts on all buses, especially older models, is a key point of discussion and public inquiry.