| 1 | 1 | | 1 of 1 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1821 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1662 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Sal N. DiDomenico |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | An Act requiring seat belts on school buses. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk 1 of 2 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1821 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1662 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1662) of Sal N. DiDomenico |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | for legislation relative to requirements for seatbelts on school buses. Public Safety and |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Homeland Security. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 1504 OF 2023-2024.] |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | An Act requiring seat belts on school buses. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 7B of chapter 90 of the general laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | 2official edition, is hereby amended by adding after criteria (18) the following:- "(19) Every |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 3school bus transporting students to or from a public, vocational, private or parochial school shall |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | 4be equipped with a seatbelt for each permanent seating accommodation designed and installed in |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 5compliance with United States motor vehicle D.O.T. safety standards." |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 6 SECTION 2. A city or town may enact a local ordinance or bylaw requiring that school |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | 7buses operating within the municipality must be equipped with seatbelts at an earlier |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | 8implementation date. 2 of 2 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | 9 SECTION 3. No claim for damages shall arise from the failure of a school bus operator, a |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 10school, school district or municipality to ensure that a passenger of a school bus was wearing the |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 11restraint system prescribed by Sections 7B of Chapter 90 of the general laws. |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 12 SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2028. |
|---|