Safe Bus Routes to School Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4488 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4488

To amend title 23, United States Code, to include school bus route safety in the safe routes to school program, and for other purposes.

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 12, 2026

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

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A BILL

To amend title 23, United States Code, to include school bus route safety in the safe routes to school program, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Bus Routes to School Act''.

SEC. 2. SAFE BUS ROUTES TO SCHOOL.

(a) In General.--Section 208 of title 23, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following: ``(3) School bus route.--The term `school bus route' means a designated course regularly traveled by a school bus for to- and-from transportation to pick up students and take them to school or to deliver students from school to their homes or to designated bus stops that are approved by the local education agency.''; (2) in subsection (c)-- (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon at the end; (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(4) to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will support safer school bus routes and stops.''; and (3) in subsection (g)-- (A) in paragraph (1)(A)-- (i) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; (ii) by striking ``may be used for the planning'' and inserting the following: ``may be used for-- ``(i) the planning''; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``(ii) the planning, design, and construction of infrastructure-related projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to safely wait for and take a school bus to and from school, including sidewalk improvements, traffic calming and speed reduction improvements, pedestrian crossing improvements, waiting areas at bus stops, and traffic diversion improvements on a school bus route.''; and (B) in paragraph (2)(A)-- (i) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; (ii) by striking ``noninfrastructure- related activities to encourage'' and inserting the following: ``noninfrastructure-related activities-- ``(i) to encourage''; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``(ii) to encourage safe school bus ridership, including public awareness campaigns and outreach to press and community leaders, traffic education and enforcement in the vicinity of school bus routes, and student sessions on school bus safety rules.''. (b) Highway Safety Improvement Program.--Section 148(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in paragraph (4)(B)-- (A) by redesignating clause (xxix) as clause (xxx); (B) by inserting after clause (xxviii) the following: ``(xxix) Safe routes to school infrastructure-related projects described in section 208(g)(1).''; and (C) in clause (xxx) (as redesignated), by striking ``(xxviii)'' and inserting ``(xxix)''; and (2) in paragraph (11)(B)(i), by inserting ``and school bus stop safety'' after ``road users''. <all>