Progress in Ohio Seat Belts in School Buses Legislation

On May 22, 2018* at the 132nd General Assembly, State Representative John Barnes boldly introduced House Bill 680** that requires all Ohio school districts to have lap-shoulder seat belts, i.e. same as passenger cars, for all passengers*** on all school buses that are purchased, owned, leased or rented by July 1st, 2019 or face criminal charges. HB680 mandates an aggressive seat belt installation timetable and includes both new replacement and existing school buses. This approach on the issue doesn’t follow the recent trends in state regulation, e.g. Nevada, or volunteer school district policy, e.g. 16 in Indiana, where only seat belts for new replacement school buses are mandated.

Federal agencies, e.g. NTSB and NHTSA, and many safety organizations, e.g. National Safety Council, recommend lap-shoulder seat belts for all school buses. Representative Barnes has indicated that we, as a society, have a responsibility to provide the known school bus features necessary, in the same manner as provided in passenger cars, to ensure our children’s safety during transport and not having seat belts on buses, “Doesn’t pass the common sense test”.

With the introduction of HB680, Ohio now joins 29 other states that have introduced bills (2017) to address the “seat belts in school buses” issue. The first hearing on the HB680 will be on Tuesday, 6/26/2018 before the Ohio House of Representatives Education and Career Readiness Committee. Previous Bills, e.g. 2014, on seat belts in school buses have failed to gain enough support to make it through the Ohio legislative process. If you want your thoughts considered, please contact your Ohio state legislators, e.g. Ohio Representative Nathan Manning (Rep55@ohiohouse.gov) and/or Senator Gayle Manning (Manning@ohioseante.gov).

If HB680 becomes law, Ohio would be joining eight other states (NV, AK, TX, CA, LA, FL, NY, NJ) and many volunteer school districts that mandate seat belts in their school buses. The Avon Lake School District Board of Education in Ohio has recently committed to equipping at least one new replacement school bus with LS seat belts as a trial, the first district in Ohio, when the Board of Education takes a final vote before new buses are ordered in the Spring of 2019. The District plans to use the first seat belt equipped bus as a “highway travel” bus. Neighboring school districts are being encouraged to conduct their own trials.

*NTSB recommends lap-shoulder seat belts for all new school buses

**https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA132-HB-680

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/download?key=9894&format=pdf

*** Ohio school bus drivers were required to have seat belts in 1986

MEDIA REPORTS ON HB680

http://www.wlwt.com/article/ohio-considers-putting-seat-belts-on-school-buses/21639099

https://www.10tv.com/article/ohio-lawmaker-wants-seat-belts-all-school-buses-2019

https://www.wkbn.com/news/ohio/proposed-bill-would-put-seatbelts-on-ohio-school-buses/1246721969

http://www.record-courier.com/news/20180523/new-recommendations-legislation-arise-about-school-bus-seat-belts