SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1821        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sal N. DiDomenico

_________________

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 requiring seat belts on school buses.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1821        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1504 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act requiring seat belts 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 2022 official edition, is hereby amended by adding after criteria (18) the following:- "(19) Every school bus transporting students to or from a public, vocational, private or parochial school shall be equipped with a seatbelt for each permanent seating accommodation designed and installed in compliance with United States motor vehicle D.O.T. safety standards."

SECTION 2. A city or town may enact a local ordinance or bylaw requiring that school buses operating within the municipality must be equipped with seatbelts at an earlier implementation date.

SECTION 3. No claim for damages shall arise from the failure of a school bus operator, a school, school district or municipality to ensure that a passenger of a school bus was wearing the restraint system prescribed by Sections 7B of Chapter 90 of the general laws.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2028.