| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to three-point seat belts on buses that transport |
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| 8 | 6 | | schoolchildren. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 547.701(e), Transportation Code, is |
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| 11 | 9 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | (e) In this subsection, "bus" includes a school bus, [and a] |
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| 13 | 11 | | school activity bus, multifunction school activity bus, or |
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| 14 | 12 | | school-chartered bus. A bus operated by or contracted for use by a |
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| 15 | 13 | | school district for the transportation of schoolchildren shall be |
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| 16 | 14 | | equipped with a three-point seat belt for each passenger, including |
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| 17 | 15 | | the operator. This subsection does not apply to: |
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| 18 | 16 | | (1) a bus purchased by a school district that is a |
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| 19 | 17 | | model year 2017 or earlier; or |
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| 20 | 18 | | (2) a bus purchased by a school district that is a |
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| 21 | 19 | | model year 2018 or later if the board of trustees for the school |
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| 22 | 20 | | district: |
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| 23 | 21 | | (A) determines that the district's budget does |
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| 24 | 22 | | not permit the district to purchase a bus that is equipped with the |
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| 25 | 23 | | seat belts required by this subsection; and |
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| 26 | 24 | | (B) votes to approve that determination in a |
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| 27 | 25 | | public meeting [applies to: |
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| 28 | 26 | | [(1) each bus purchased by a school district on or |
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| 29 | 27 | | after September 1, 2010, for the transportation of schoolchildren; |
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| 30 | 28 | | and |
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| 31 | 29 | | [(2) each school-chartered bus contracted for use by a |
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| 32 | 30 | | school district on or after September 1, 2011, for the |
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| 33 | 31 | | transportation of schoolchildren]. |
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| 34 | 32 | | SECTION 2. Section 547.701(f), Transportation Code, is |
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| 35 | 33 | | repealed. |
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| 36 | 34 | | SECTION 3. It is the public policy of this state to ensure |
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| 37 | 35 | | the safety of all students by taking every measure possible to |
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| 38 | 36 | | protect the lives and well-being of students during transportation |
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| 39 | 37 | | on a bus to and from school and extracurricular activities, |
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| 40 | 38 | | including the measure enacted in Section 547.701(e), |
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| 41 | 39 | | Transportation Code, as amended by this Act. |
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| 42 | 40 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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| 41 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 42 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 43 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 693 passed the Senate on |
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| 44 | + | April 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 7. |
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| 45 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 47 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 693 passed the House on |
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| 48 | + | May 19, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 96, Nays 48, one |
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| 49 | + | present not voting. |
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| 50 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 51 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 52 | + | Approved: |
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| 53 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | + | Date |
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| 55 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 56 | + | Governor |
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