[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY ACT

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 12, 2018

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill I introduced 
today along with Senator Duckworth from Illinois, the School Bus Safety 
Act.
  No more precious cargo is there than school-aged children entrusted 
by their parents to go and earn an education and pave the way to a 
better life. The common-sense measures called for in this legislation 
will save young lives and it's the right thing to do.
  In November 2016, there were two high-profile school bus accidents in 
Chattanooga, Tennessee and another in Baltimore, Maryland that left 6 
school-aged children robbed of their futures.
  According to a subsequent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 
crash investigation report, seat belts and other safety measures could 
have prevented the death of those children and no doubt countless 
others involved in school bus accidents across the United States.
  That is why I am glad that others have joined in the chorus to 
improve school bus safety including my colleagues, Representatives Josh 
Gottheimer of New Jersey and Charlie Crist of Florida who have 
introduced similar legislation, along with Representatives Elijah 
Cummings from Maryland and John Duncan from my state of Tennessee who 
joined me earlier this year to call for a hearing on this very matter.
  Despite the recommendations of the NTSB, the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration refuses to initiate the process to enshrine these 
life-saving measures into federal regulation.
  As a result of this inaction, Senator Duckworth and I have put forth 
the School Bus Safety Act, a comprehensive bill to not only make 
children safer in the event of a crash, but to promote technologies to 
prevent crashes in the first place.
  Buses, like so many passenger vehicles on the road today, should be 
equipped with automatic electronic breaking systems and electronic 
stability control. It is just common-sense that our children are the 
safest they can be on their way to and from school.
  The School Bus Safety Act has been endorsed by the Advocates for 
Highway and Auto Safety as well as the National Safety Council.
  I urge this body to swiftly pass this legislation so that no other 
young souls fall victim to our failure to act and make school buses 
safer.

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