[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 128 (Wednesday, August 5, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S4478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Hawley):
  S. 5264. A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to set 
requirements for certain operator workstations for fixed route buses, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Bus Operator 
Safety and Security Act with my colleague from Missouri, Mr. Hawley. 
Our bipartisan bill will address a growing safety concern facing the 
transit industry: protecting the bus operators who serve as the 
backbone of our Nation's public transportation system.
  Bus operators are being subjected to physical assaults, chemical 
attacks, and exposure to biohazards for simply carrying out their 
essential work. In my home State, a Rhode Island Public Transit 
Authority, RIPTA, busdriver was sprayed in the face with insecticide 
after asking a passenger to pay their fare. In Missouri, a Kansas City 
Area Transportation Authority, KCATA, busdriver was attacked with a 
baseball bat. In Ohio, a Central Ohio Transit Authority, COTA, 
busdriver was punched in the face after a passenger reached around a 
partial operator barrier, and in Pennsylvania, a Southeastern 
Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, SEPTA, busdriver sustained slash 
wounds to his face and abdomen when attacked by a passenger. The list 
goes on.
  These attacks are part of a growing nationwide trend. Indeed, 
assaults on transit workers have increased by more than 36 percent 
since 2023, with an average of 43 assaults each day in 2025. These 
alarming statistics underscore the urgent need to better protect the 
dedicated operators who keep our public transportation systems running 
safely every day.
  To address this growing crisis, the Bus Operator Safety and Security 
Act would require all new, federally funded buses to be equipped with 
protective barriers around the operator's seat, providing bus operators 
with a safer and more secure workspace. These barriers are not 
cosmetic; they are lifesaving. They fully enclose the operator's 
workstation, preventing unauthorized entry and protecting operators 
from physical assaults, thrown objects, chemical agents, and other 
dangerous hazards. while maintaining a clear line of sight so operators 
can safely perform their jobs.
  This is a simple, commonsense solution. These barriers cost between 
$3,000 to $7,000 per bus, yet they can mean the difference between a 
bus operator making it home safely at the end of the day or becoming 
the victim of a violent assault.
  I am pleased that the bill is supported by the Amalgamated Transit 
Union, ATU, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, TTD, 
the SMART Transportation Division, the American Federation of State, 
County and Municipal Employees, AFSCME, and the Transport Workers Union 
of America, TWU. And in Rhode Island, the bill is supported by RIPTA 
and ATU Local 618. I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator Hawley 
in supporting this commonsense legislation and in working to include it 
in the next Surface Transportation reauthorization.

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