Federal law only requires seat belts in school buses that weigh less than 10,000 pounds, and historically, regulators have opposed such federal mandates on coach buses. But at least 18 states, including Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Virginia, are currently considering such legislation. Washington is the latest to join the club after the state senate transportation committee held a public hearing Tuesday on a bill that would require all newly purchased public and private school buses to be equipped with seat belts. So far, only six states—California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Texas—have a variant of such a law.
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