GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1359

Short Title:  Seat Belts on Activity Buses.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Allred; Church, Kiser, and Mosley.

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Referred to:  Appropriations.

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April 28, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE INSTALLATION OF SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES TRANSPORTING CHILDREN AT SPEEDS OF MORE THAN THIRTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR AND TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO PAY THE ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR SEAT BELTS ON ALL NEW SCHOOL BUSES THAT WILL BE USED IN THIS MANNER.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-240(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	The State Board of Education shall from time to time adopt such rules and regulations with reference to the construction, equipment, color, and maintenance of school buses, the number of pupils who may be permitted to ride at the same time upon any bus, and the age and qualifications of drivers of school buses as it shall deem to be desirable for the purpose of promoting safety in the operation of school buses. No school bus shall be operated for the transportation of pupils unless such bus is constructed and maintained as prescribed in such regulations and is equipped with adequate heating facilities, a standard signaling device for giving due notice that the bus is about to make a turn, an alternating flashing stoplight on the front of the bus, an alternating flashing stoplight on the rear of the bus, and such other warning devices, fire protective equipment and first aid supplies as may be prescribed for installation upon such buses by the regulation of the State Board of Education.  No school bus purchased as new equipment on or after July 1, 1999, shall be operated for the transportation of pupils at speeds of more than 35 miles per hour unless the bus is equipped with safety belts meeting federal standards.  The State Board of Education shall pay all additional costs to local boards of education for ordering seat belts on all new school buses."
Section 2.  The Board of Education shall report to the General Assembly on the first day of the 2000 Session any statutory changes and appropriations necessary to mandate and accomplish the installation, by December 31, 2000, of safety belts meeting federal standards on all school buses used in this State to transport children at speeds of more than 35 miles per hour.
Section 3.  Effective July 1, 1999, all school buses purchased as new equipment shall be equipped with safety belts meeting federal standards.
Section 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Board of Education the sum of one hundred sixty-five thousand two hundred forty dollars ($165,240) for the 1999-2000 fiscal year to pay for the seat belts on all new buses required by Section 1 of this act.
Section 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1999.