Panel OKs more time for seat belts in school buses

Kirsten Searer

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Members of an Assembly committee said Tuesday they want to put seat belts in school buses, but they opted to give the state a few years to get ready.

The Ways and Means Committee amended and passed Assembly Bill 411 on Tuesday, giving school districts time to determine how much it would cost to retrofit new and some existing school buses with three-point seat belts.

The state's next governor would then be asked in 2007 to set aside money for seat belts in the next biennial budget.

The bill now goes to the Assembly floor.

Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, said Tuesday he hopes the next governor will make funding for seat belts a top priority. Atkinson has repeatedly cited school bus accidents when buses have rolled over, tossing children around inside.

The new version of the bill wouldn't require immediate seat belts in school buses, but it probably has a better chance of getting through the Senate, said Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas.

Several legislative hearings produced conflicting testimony over the effectiveness of seat belts in school buses. Some officials, including representatives of the Clark County School District, argued that buses are designed to protect children in roll-overs with padded seating, and that seat belts might actually cause more injuries.