SB 322: State Board of Education; include instruction in the proper use of a school bus passenger restraint system within its program of safety instruction; require

Currently, Georgia law does not require school buses to have passenger restraint systems (seat belts or lap-and-shoulder restraints), and safety instruction for bus riders does not specifically cover their use. This bill changes that. It amends the state's school funding law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-188) to require the State Board of Education's safety instruction program to teach students how to properly use a school bus passenger restraint system. It also rewrites Georgia's school bus equipment law (O.C.G.A. § 40-8-111). Starting July 1, 2027, newly manufactured school buses used in Georgia must be equipped with restraint systems for each seat based on the bus's passenger capacity, and students must wear them while the bus is in motion. Bus drivers are responsible for making sure students are buckled in before driving, but parents cannot be held liable if a child fails to comply. Students with a documented physical or medical condition are exempt. School systems that don't maintain the required equipment can face a penalty set by the State Board of Education, which must also write implementing rules.

• Adds instruction on proper use of school bus passenger restraint systems to the state's required school bus safety training program.
• Requires all school buses manufactured for use in Georgia after July 1, 2027 to be equipped with seat belts or lap-and-shoulder restraint systems for every seat.
• Requires students to wear a restraint system whenever the school bus is moving, starting July 1, 2027, with an exception for documented disabilities or medical conditions.
• Makes school bus drivers responsible for confirming students are buckled in before driving, while shielding parents from liability if a child doesn't comply.
• Authorizes the State Board of Education to penalize school systems that fail to maintain required safety equipment and to write rules implementing the law.

Public school students who ride buses, their parents and guardians, school bus drivers, local public school systems that operate and maintain buses, school bus manufacturers, and the State Board of Education, which must update training programs and set rules and penalties.

If enacted, Georgia school buses built after mid-2027 would need seat belts, a significant change from current practice where most buses have none, and students would be required to buckle up, changing daily bus routines for drivers and families statewide.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-188 to require the State Board of Education's safety instruction program to include training on proper use of passenger restraint systems.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-8-111 to define 'passenger restraint system' as a federally compliant type 2 seat belt or lap-and-shoulder restraint.
• Section 2 requires school buses manufactured on or after July 1, 2027 to be equipped with restraint systems matching passenger capacity.
• Section 2 requires students to wear restraint systems while the bus is moving, makes drivers responsible for verifying compliance, and exempts parents from liability.
• Section 2 exempts students with a physically disabling or medical condition, if certified in writing by a licensed healthcare provider.
• Section 2 authorizes the State Board of Education to penalize school systems that fail to maintain required safety equipment.
• Section 2 directs the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and regulations implementing the new requirements.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-04Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
2. 2025-03-03Senate Hopper (Senado)

• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)Patrocinador principal
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)

• school bus safety
• seat belts on school buses
• student transportation
• education law