(Updated July 17, 2006)

H.Res. 498
Supporting the Goals and Ideals of School Bus Safety Week 

Floor Situation

The House is scheduled to consider H.Res. 498, under suspension of the rules, on Tuesday, July 18, 2006. The resolution is debatable for 40 minutes, may not be amended, and requires a two-thirds majority vote for passage.

Summary

H.Res. 498 resolves that the House of Representatives supports the goals and ideals of School Bus Safety Week.

Background

Approximately 480,000 yellow school buses carry 25 million children to and from school every weekday. America's 480,000 school buses comprise the largest mass transportation fleet in the country, 2.5 times the size of all other forms of mass transportation, transit, intercity buses, commercial airlines, and rail, combined.

During the school year, school buses make more than 50 million passenger trips daily carrying the Nation's future, our children. School bus transportation is eight times safer than traveling in a passenger vehicle and is the safest form of ground transportation available. School buses meet higher construction, equipment, and inspection standards than any other vehicle, and school bus drivers meet higher qualification, training, and testing standards than any other drivers.

According to the National Academy of Sciences, an average of 820 students are killed annually during school transportation hours, but less than 2 percent of them are school bus passengers. An average of seven school-age passengers are killed in school bus crashes each year, and an average of 19 children are killed each year getting on and off the bus. Most of those killed are children aged five to seven, and most often those children are killed in the area immediately surrounding the bus--either by a passing vehicle or by the bus itself.

School Bus Safety Week, which is celebrated in more than 40 States and sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), was created to remind all students of the best ways to get on and off the bus in an effort to enhance the safety of the Nation's children.

School Bus Safety Week, which dates back to 1966, also recognizes the hard work and dedication of school transportation personnel, especially the many school bus drivers who ensure a safe journey each and every day.

Legislative History

H.Res. 498 was introduced by Rep. Hunter (CA) on October 18, 2005. The bill was ordered to be reported from the Government Reform Committee, by unanimous consent, on June 8, 2006.

For additional information or questions, please contact the Government Reform Committee at 5-5074.