HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2517        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2484

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Antonio F. D. Cabral

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to require seatbelts on school buses.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

1/19/2017

Robert M. Koczera

11th Bristol

 

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

 

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

 

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

 

Michael F. Rush

Norfolk and Suffolk

 

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

 

Daniel M. Donahue

16th Worcester

 

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

 

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

 

Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

Marc R. Pacheco

First Plymouth and Bristol

 

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

 

Kevin J. Kuros

8th Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2517        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2484

By Mr. Cabral of New Bedford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2484) of Antonio F. D. Cabral and others for legislation to require the use of seatbelts on school buses.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act to require seatbelts on school buses.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.Section 7B of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following clauses:-

“(19) as of September 1, 2021, every school bus transporting students to or from a public, charter or vocational school shall be equipped with a lap-shoulder belt for each permanent seating accommodation designed and installed in compliance with United States motor vehicle D.O.T. safety standards, which seat belt shall be fastened about each passenger at all times during vehicle operation.

(20) as of September 1, 2023, every school bus transporting students to or from a private or parochial school shall be equipped with a lap-shoulder belt for each permanent seating accommodation designed and installed in compliance with United States motor vehicle D.O.T. safety standards, which seat belt shall be fastened about each passenger at all times during vehicle operation.”.

SECTION 2.Said section 7B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “practices”, in line 120, the following words:—

“, which shall include instruction in the use of lap-shoulder belts,”.

SECTION 3.Section 7L of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “seated”, in line 6, the following words:-

“and, if traveling in a bus required by this chapter to have lab-shoulder belts, wearing a lap-shoulder belt which is properly adjusted and fastened according to the manufacturer’s instructions”.

SECTION 4.Section 7AA of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “bus”, in line 12, the following words:-

“, prior to September 1, 2021, unless such school bus is equipped with a lap-shoulder belt system”.

SECTION 5.Section 4 of chapter 175E, of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-

“(f) For motor vehicle insurance rates for school buses, the commissioner shall develop and promulgate a schedule of appropriate reductions in premium charges to account for the decreased risk of injury associated with the installation of a lap-shoulder belt system approved by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in any such bus so equipped. The schedule shall be promulgated prior to September 1, 2019, provided that an owner of any school bus so equipped prior to the promulgation of said schedule may apply to the commissioner and receive an appropriate reduction in the premium charge.”.