SAN ANTONIO — Texas lawmakers approved a statewide requirement for all public school buses to be equipped with three-point seat belts by September 1, 2029. Senate Bill 546 mandates the upgrade across the state.

State Sen. José Menéndez authored the legislation. Menéndez stated that the legislature aimed to provide resources for the mandate, noting, "We could not just pass another unfunded mandate onto schools just to tell them look, you have to do this and not provide them the resources." He added, "We have put some money, I think $10 million into a grant for schools to apply to have their fleets updated with three-point seat belts."

Prior to the bill's passage, Texas school districts were required to inform the Texas Education Agency (TEA) of the number of buses they operate, the type of seat belts currently on each bus, and the estimated cost for necessary upgrades by May 29, 2026. The TEA stated in an email on June 24, 2026, that these data submissions are still under review. The agency has until January 2027 to report comprehensive information on school bus seat belt upgrades.

Bill Harrison, Executive Director of Transportation for the Northeast Independent School District, commented on the financial implications for local districts. "We're hopeful that there will be grants available, but there's no detail about any of that yet," Harrison said. He estimated, "It will cost about $13 million if we have to retrofit all those."

Why It Matters

This legislation establishes a new safety standard for student transportation across Texas. The mandated upgrades aim to enhance safety for students, while also presenting a financial and logistical undertaking for school districts over the next three years.