| 1 | 1 | | By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 546 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to seat belts on buses that transport children. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 547.701, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsections (f), (g), (g-1), |
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| 12 | 12 | | and (h) to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (e) In this subsection, "bus" includes a school bus, school |
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| 14 | 14 | | activity bus, multifunction school activity bus, or |
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| 15 | 15 | | school-chartered bus. Except as otherwise provided by this |
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| 16 | 16 | | subsection, a [A] bus operated by or contracted for use by a school |
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| 17 | 17 | | district for the transportation of schoolchildren shall be equipped |
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| 18 | 18 | | with a three-point seat belt for each passenger, including the |
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| 19 | 19 | | operator. This subsection does not apply to: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) a bus operated by or contracted for use [purchased |
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| 21 | 21 | | by a school district that is a model year 2017 or earlier; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | [(2) a bus purchased] by a school district [that is a |
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| 23 | 23 | | model year 2018 or later] if the board of trustees for the school |
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| 24 | 24 | | district[: |
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| 25 | 25 | | [(A)] determines that the district's budget does |
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| 26 | 26 | | not permit the district to purchase a bus that is equipped with the |
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| 27 | 27 | | seat belts required by this subsection; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) a bus for which the warranty would become void if |
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| 29 | 29 | | the bus were equipped to comply with this subsection[; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | [(B) votes to approve that determination in a |
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| 31 | 31 | | public meeting]. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (f) Not later than the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the |
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| 33 | 33 | | board of trustees of a school district that makes a determination |
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| 34 | 34 | | under Subsection (e)(1) shall submit to the Texas Education Agency |
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| 35 | 35 | | and present in a public meeting of the board a report that includes: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) the number of buses operated by or contracted for |
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| 37 | 37 | | use by the district that: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (A) are not equipped with seat belts; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (B) are equipped with two-point seat belts; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (C) are equipped with three-point seat belts; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) the estimated cost to the district to equip with |
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| 42 | 42 | | three-point seat belts each bus operated by or contracted for use by |
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| 43 | 43 | | the district that is not equipped with three-point seat belts as |
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| 44 | 44 | | required by Subsection (e). |
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| 45 | 45 | | (g) Not later than January 1, 2027, the Texas Education |
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| 46 | 46 | | Agency shall: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) collect the information submitted under |
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| 48 | 48 | | Subsection (f); |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) calculate the total amount of financial assistance |
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| 50 | 50 | | needed for all school districts to come into full compliance with |
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| 51 | 51 | | Subsection (e); and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) summarize and make available to the governor, the |
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| 53 | 53 | | lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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| 54 | 54 | | and each member of the legislature the information described by |
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| 55 | 55 | | Subdivisions (1) and (2). |
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| 56 | 56 | | (g-1) This subsection and Subsections (f) and (g) expire |
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| 57 | 57 | | January 1, 2028. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (h) A school district may accept gifts, grants, and |
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| 59 | 59 | | donations from any public or private source to implement the |
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| 60 | 60 | | requirements of Subsection (e). |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 547.701(e), |
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| 62 | 62 | | Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, a school district is |
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| 63 | 63 | | not required to comply with that subsection before September 1, |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2029. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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