Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 168 (2019GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Hall, C.

Final action

House/ filed 3/14/2019

Outcome

Failed / filed without passage

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• requires all new school buses purchased after June 30, 2020, to be equipped with seatbelts for all passengers;
• exempts certain parties from liability in a personal injury action related to the use, nonuse, or misuse of a seatbelt on a school bus;
• provides rulemaking authority; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Craig Hall
Senate Sponsor: 
____________
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies the Traffic Code by requiring a new school bus purchased after June
30, 2020, to be equipped with seatbelts.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ requires all new school buses purchased after June 30, 2020, to be equipped with
seatbelts for all passengers;
▸ exempts certain parties from liability in a personal injury action related to the use,
nonuse, or misuse of a seatbelt on a school bus;
▸ provides rulemaking authority; and
▸ makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
41-6a-1301
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2015, Chapter 412
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
41-6a-1301
 is amended to read:
41-6a-1301.
Standards and specifications for lighting and special warning devices
on school buses.
(1) (a) A school bus shall be equipped with red signal lamps mounted as high and as
widely spaced laterally as practicable.
(b) The red signal lamps shall display two alternately flashing red lights, located at the
same level, to the front and rear of the school bus.
(c) The red signal lamps shall be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
(2) (a) A school bus shall be equipped with yellow signal lamps mounted near each of
the four red signal lamps and at the same level but closer to the vertical centerline of the bus.
(b) The yellow signal lamps shall display two alternately flashing yellow lights to the
front and rear of the school bus.
(c) The yellow signal lamps shall be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
(3) A school bus driver shall activate the yellow signal lamps at least 100 feet, but not
more than 500 feet, before every stop at which the alternately flashing red lights are activated.
 (4) (a) A school bus with a model year of 2020 or newer that is purchased after June
30, 2020, shall be equipped with three-point seatbelts available for use by each passenger on
the school bus.
(b) In accordance with Section 
41-6a-1304
, the Department of Transportation shall
adopt and enforce rules governing the design and installation of seatbelts on school buses.
(c) The state, a county, a school district, a school bus operator under contract with a
school district, or an agent or employee of a school district or operator, including a teacher or
volunteer serving as a chaperone, is not required to ensure use or proper use of a seatbelt on a
school bus.
(d) The state, a county, a school district, a school bus operator under contract with a
school district, or an agent or employee of a school district or operator, including a teacher or
volunteer serving as a chaperone, is not liable in an action for personal injury to a school bus
passenger for an injury caused solely by a passenger's use, nonuse, or misuse of a seatbelt.
[
(4)
] 
(5)
 A violation of this section is an infraction.