School Bus Safety Act of 2025

This bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue new rules significantly enhancing school bus safety. Within one year, the Secretary must require school buses over 10,000 pounds to have 3-point safety belts at each designated seating position, alongside comprehensive fire protection measures. These fire safety mandates include fire suppression systems for engine fires, improved firewall standards, and more rigorous interior flammability and smoke emission standards comparable to those for aircraft or train compartments. Further safety equipment requirements include automatic emergency braking systems , event data recorders , and electronic stability control systems for all school buses. The bill also mandates at least eight hours of behind-the-wheel instruction for school bus operators and requires federal agencies to finalize rulemaking on obstructive sleep apnea for safety-sensitive personnel. Additionally, the legislation calls for studies on advanced safety technologies, such as motion-activated detection systems for pedestrians and bicyclists, and systems to alert operators if passengers are not wearing 3-point safety belts, with potential future rulemaking. To support the adoption of these safety upgrades, a grant program will be established within one year of enactment. This program will provide grants to States, which will then offer subgrants to local educational agencies. These subgrants will assist in purchasing new school buses equipped with the required safety features or modifying existing buses to include them, facilitating widespread implementation of the enhancements.