NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday he will sign Rep. JoAnne Favors’ school bus seat belt legislation should the measure pass the General Assembly.
The governor told reporters that while the main proposal to address problems – new bus safety requirements for school districts – unanimously cleared the House on Monday night, his administration is “technically deferred” on Favors’ bill.
“I think there’s a big discussion back and forth in the Legislature,” Haslam said. “Deferred means if they pass it, we’ll sign it and figure out a way to fund it. But we’re not actively engaged in that one. The proposal we made was the proposal that we obviously wanted to make certain would happen.”
Haslam’s bill avoided the seat belt issue entirely. Instead, it raises school bus drivers’ minimum age from 21 to 25 and imposes new training and reporting requirements on public and charter schools in regard to school bus transportation.
Favors’ bill would require safety-restraint systems on all new public and private buses ordered or purchased beginning July 1, 2019.