Texas lawmakers consider ramping up school bus safety systems
The Brief
Texas lawmakers had two bill hearings that would add more seat belts and cameras to school buses
Senate Bill 546 would require school districts to add seat belts to all school buses
Senate Bill 744 would add stop-arm cameras to school buses
AUSTIN, Texas - School bus safety was a hot topic at the state capitol on Wednesday.
There were hearings on two bills that would add more seat belts and cameras to school buses.
What they're saying
It's been a year since a deadly crash involving a Hays CISD school bus and a concrete pump truck. There were no seat belts on the bus because of a loophole in state law.
The safety devices are only required to be on buses purchased after 2018 and the law doesn't mandate upgrading older buses.
SB 546, filed by San Antonio Democrat Jose Menendez, would set in motion the upgrade of all school buses in Texas.
School districts would have to document how many buses they have without seat belts and then report to the TEA how much it will cost to replace them.
RELATED: Texas lawmakers push for expanded seat belt requirements on school buses
On Wednesday, the Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing on the legislation.
"So, we need to identify those school districts that need the actual help. Maybe we can put a grant program together after we know the size of the problem. If we don't know the problem, I don't know how we can fix it," said Sen. Menendez.
The original draft of the bill provided school districts with an exemption to use two-point seat belts if they could not afford the three-point seat belts.
Menendez removed that option after safety experts objected to the use of two-point belts. The fleet upgrade does not need to happen right away.
"They have 4 years in terms of a timeline to implement the plan. That's a maximum. But what we want them to do is report to the TEA, report in public through their school board a compliance period," said Menendez.
Local perspective
The hearing on SB 546 included emotional testimony from Brad Brown.
"Believe me, I never intended to be an expert on school bus safety. It was the position I found myself in the aftermath of the March 29, 2006, bus crash that claimed the life of my 16-year-old daughter, Ashley Brown," said Brown.
The committee was told safety improvements have been made since Brown's daughter died near Beaumont. He believes this new legislative effort will speed up the use of newer buses.
"Every child on every school bus should have a three-point seat belt period," said Brown.
What's next
The seat belt bill, if passed, would allow school districts to raise money, and accept donations, to help purchase new buses.
What they're saying
Another school bus safety bill was also discussed by the committee. SB 744 would allow school districts to install cameras on buses.
"It's not red-light cameras. It's cameras on a bus on the arm so they can monitor those who pass the buses illegally," said Republican Senator Donna Campbell.
Stop-arm cameras are currently used by Austin ISD, and they are being tested in Laredo.
"We equipped just six school buses, only six, and over the five-month period, those buses recorded more than 2,100 instances of drivers illegally passing while the stop-arm was deployed and red lights were flashing," said United ISD Superintendent Mike Garza.
The legislation would give school districts an exemption to a ban on red-light cameras passed by lawmakers in 2019.
State Senator Phil King noted that red-light cameras were a civil fine. He asked Sen. Campbell if her bill would allow the traffic ticket to be a criminal or civil citation.
"There's an option for both," said Campbell.
The school bus camera bill, according to Sen. Campbell, would not be a mandate.
The Source
Information from Texas legislative session hearings
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