HB 1204 Summary — North Carolina, 2025 Session
Title: Require Seat Belts on School Buses
Purpose and intent
- The bill requires that school buses and activity buses purchased, leased, or rented by public school units and certain non-public schools be equipped with seat belt assemblies at all designated seating positions (type-two seat belts), with limited exceptions.
- Overall aim: enhance student safety in school-related transportation by mandating standardized use of seat belts across a wide range of bus purchases and operators.
Key provisions and changes
1) School buses used for pupil transportation
- Mandate: Every school bus capable of diesel operation must also operate on diesel with a minimum biodiesel concentration of B-20.
- Equipment requirements for all applicable school buses:
- Adequate heating facilities.
- A standard signaling device to indicate turns.
- An alternating flashing stoplight on both front and rear of the bus.
- Type-two seat belt assemblies at all designated seating positions, compliant with applicable federal standards (49 U.S.C. § 30111). Reasonable exemptions may be adopted by the State Board of Education for:
- Integrated child safety restraint systems.
- Transportation of students with disabilities.
- Other federally approved restraint or securement systems required by federal law.
- Other warning devices, fire protection equipment, and first aid supplies as deemed necessary.
2) Activity buses
- Local boards of education must ensure activity buses are equipped with type-two seat belt assemblies at all designated seating positions.
- Policies on proper use of activity buses must be adopted.
- Seat belt requirement may be modified for the same exemptions listed above (integrated restraints, disabilities, federally approved systems).
3) Charter and private/religious/nonpublic schools
- Charter schools: If purchasing/leasing/renting buses for transportation, must equip with type-two seat belts, with the same exemptions as above. Charter schools may contract with local boards for transportation under certain conditions.
- Private church schools and religious charter schools (private church schools/schools of religious charter): If purchasing/leasing/renting buses, must equip with type-two seat belts, with similar exemptions.
- Qualified nonpublic schools (general): If purchasing/leasing/renting buses, must equip with type-two seat belts, with similar exemptions.
4) Regional and other school entities
- Regional schools (e.g., regional transportation purchases): Must equip buses with type-two seat belts, with exemptions similar to above.
- Boards of trustees (for entities like public universities’ transportation of students in related contexts): Must ensure buses are equipped with type-two seat belts.
5) Laboratory schools and special programs
- Laboratory schools purchasing/leasing/renting buses must equip with type-two seat belts, with the same exemptions.
6) Administrative and effective dates
- A $10,000 General Fund appropriation to the Department of Public Instruction (2026-2027) to develop policies to help public school units implement the act.
- Effective date: The act becomes law upon passage; key timing:
- The new seat belt requirement for contracts to purchase or lease school buses and activity buses applies to contracts executed after June 30, 2030.
- The bill does not require equipping buses with seat belts at all designated seating positions if buses were purchased or leased before June 30, 2030.
5) Definitions and scope
- The act covers:
- Public school units (districts, regional schools, laboratories, charter schools under certain conditions).
- Private schools (including private church schools and religious charter schools) and qualified nonpublic schools, where they purchase/lease/rent school buses for transportation.
- The term “designated seating positions” refers to all seating positions on a bus where a seat belt is required.
Procedural and timeline aspects
- Sponsored by Representative Greenfield with several co-sponsors.
- Referred and introduced in 2025-2026 session; filed April 30, 2026.
- Fiscal note: $10,000 appropriation for policy development in 2026-2027.
- Implementation timeline:
- Seat belt requirement for new bus leases/purchases would apply to contracts executed after June 30, 2030.
- Buses purchased or leased before that date are not required to be equipped with seat belts at all designated seating positions under this act.
Potential impact
- Increased costs for buses (purchase/lease) that will need to be equipped with type-two seat belts, depending on exemptions.
- Wider safety standard across public and nonpublic school transportation operations.
- Additional administrative guidance from DPI to help districts implement the policy.
Notes
- Exemptions mirror existing allowances for integrated restraints, special transportation needs, and federally approved systems where required by federal law.
- The bill includes a funding provision to support policy development, but does not immediately mandate retrofitting existing bus fleets; the main mandatory implementation targets new contracts post-June 30, 2030.
