WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 1613

SCHOOL BUS-SEAT SAFETY BELTS

104th Regular Session Introduced by Julie Morrison and 1 co-sponsor

Illinois requires seat belts on designated school-bus seats, mandates instruction/reminders for riders, and places primary enforcement on schools/districts starting Aug 1, 2026.

Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Simmons
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1613

SB 1613 — School Bus — Seat Safety Belts (Illinois) — Summary

Status / Sponsors
- Introduced: February 4, 2025, by Senator Julie A. Morrison.
- Legislative status: Introduced and referred to committee (Assignments); first reading Feb 4, 2025.
- Companion bills: HB 977 and HB 1246.
- Note: The bill text carries the LRB identifier LRB104 08626 LNS 18678 b.

Purpose
- To require schools and transportation providers to instruct students and parents about the availability and correct use of seat safety belt systems on school buses, to require driver reminders before each trip, and to establish operational rules (including prioritization and use) when school buses are equipped with seat belts.

Key provisions
- School Code addition (105 ILCS 5/29-21 — new):
- Public and nonpublic schools, school districts, transportation providers/contractors, or other entities operating a school bus must provide written or verbal instruction to student passengers and their parents/legal guardians about the availability and correct use (fastening/unfastening and proper adjustment) of seat safety belts.
- Instruction frequency: at least twice per calendar year or school year.
- The State Board of Education must publish guidance on how to satisfy the instruction requirement on its website by July 1, 2026.
- A school bus driver or aide must give a verbal or posted reminder to all passengers to fasten seat belts properly before the bus begins to move — each trip.
- Liability protections: schools, districts, providers, drivers, aides, volunteers, and staff are not made liable solely because a passenger fails to correctly fasten, adjust, or uses/misuses a belt; no damages liability solely from a passenger’s failure to use a belt.

  • Illinois Vehicle Code addition (625 ILCS 5/12-826 — new):
    • Definitions: “school bus” includes school activity buses, multi-function school buses, and school-chartered buses.
    • Starting August 1, 2026, if a school bus has one or more designated passenger seating positions equipped with seat safety belt systems:
    • Those seating positions shall be prioritized for use, and passengers occupying them must wear the seat safety belt correctly.
    • The operating school/district/provider is responsible for instructing passengers on correct use (per manufacturer instructions or the School Code requirement).
    • Enforcement of the onboard seat-belt requirement is the responsibility of the operating school/district/provider (not delegated to outside law enforcement in routine operation).
    • When transporting children in vehicles not defined as a “school bus,” the transporting entities must comply with the Child Passenger Protection Act occupant restraint requirements.
    • The statute bars charging the operating entity with a violation requiring passenger belt use if a passenger fails to use or incorrectly uses the belt, provided the entity has followed the statute’s instruction/reminder and other provisions.

Effective dates / Timeline
- The Act takes effect upon becoming law.
- Specific operational requirement for wearing seat belts on buses with belt-equipped seats begins August 1, 2026.
- State Board guidance on instruction to be available by July 1, 2026.

Who is affected
- Public and nonpublic schools, school districts, chartered/contracted transportation providers, bus drivers, bus aides, volunteers and other staff involved in pupil transportation; student passengers and their parents/legal guardians; and operators of vehicles used to transport children.

Potential impacts / notes
- Aims to increase awareness and use of seat belts on school buses where belts are installed, while protecting schools and staff from liability for passenger misuse/nonuse.
- Places primary responsibility for instruction, reminders, and onboard compliance on school systems and transportation providers (rather than routine law‑enforcement ticketing).
- The bill carries a “State Mandates” warning in the LRB text, indicating it may impose duties that could require reimbursement under the State Mandates Act.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.