S. 4488

119 S4488 IS: Safe Bus Routes to School Act
 U.S. Senate
 2026-05-12
 text/xml
 EN
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 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 4488  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    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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Safe Bus Routes to School Act  .
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 .