Safe Bus Routes to School Act
The Safe Bus Routes to School Act would amend federal highway law to expand the existing Safe Routes to School program so it explicitly includes school bus route safety. It defines “school bus route” in statute and directs the program to support planning, development, and implementation of projects that make it safer for students to wait for, board, and exit school buses. The bill also adds school bus route safety to the list of eligible activities under the program, including both infrastructure and noninfrastructure efforts.
More specifically, the bill authorizes funding for infrastructure-related improvements such as sidewalks, traffic calming and speed reduction measures, pedestrian crossings, waiting areas at bus stops, and traffic diversion changes along school bus routes. It also allows noninfrastructure activities aimed at encouraging safe school bus ridership, including public awareness campaigns, outreach to media and community leaders, traffic education and enforcement near school bus routes, and student safety instruction. In addition, the bill amends the Highway Safety Improvement Program to make safe routes to school infrastructure projects eligible and to recognize school bus stop safety as part of roadway safety efforts.
The bill would amend Title 23 of the U.S. Code, primarily Section 208 and Section 148, to broaden federal transportation safety policy and eligible project categories. If enacted, it would create a clearer statutory basis for states and local agencies to use federal transportation safety funds for school bus route and bus stop safety improvements, while also integrating those projects into the Highway Safety Improvement Program. The practical effect would be to expand the universe of school transportation safety projects that can receive federal support and to encourage states to treat school bus route safety as a distinct planning and funding priority.
The available record shows a neutral-to-supportive posture, with the bill introduced by Senators Cortez Masto and Young and no recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials. The bipartisan sponsorship suggests the measure is framed as a practical school safety and transportation improvement rather than a partisan policy change. Because there are no transcripts or vote tallies, there is no evidence in the record of organized opposition or formal controversy at this stage.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, if the bill advances, could include how broadly federal funds should be used for school bus route projects, whether the proposal duplicates existing safe routes or highway safety programs, and how states and local education agencies would prioritize bus stop and route improvements against other transportation needs. However, none of those issues are raised explicitly in the available discussion or voting history.