House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

Posted:	January 25, 2019 03:05 PM
From:	Representative Maria P. Donatucci
To:	All House members
Subject:	Requiring Seat Belts on School Buses

Seat belts save lives – this is undisputed, common knowledge. Yet twice every day, thousands of children across Pennsylvania board school buses that lack these very important safety features. In general, safety technology on school buses has not been updated since the introduction of compartmentalization in the 1970’s. However, states all across our country are beginning to recognize the benefits of seat belt installments on school buses and are enacting legislation to provide for these updates. As such, I will be introducing legislation to join states like New York, New Jersey, California, and more that requires school buses carrying children 12 years of age and younger to be equipped or fitted with retractable seat belts. The addition of seat belts will not only save lives in the event that a bus is struck by another vehicle and rolls, it will decrease driver distraction by ensuring that all passengers are seated while the bus is in motion. As a legislative body, we have passed bills protecting the children outside of school buses; it is time we also protect the ones inside. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. Thank you.
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Introduced as HB799