Bill Text: GA HR113 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: House School Bus Safety Study Committee; create

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-04-14 - House Passed/Adopted [HR113 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HR113-Introduced.html
11 LC 35 2012
House Resolution 113
By: Representatives Bearden of the 68th, Talton of the 145th, Cooke of the 18th, and Hanner of the 148th

A RESOLUTION


Creating the House School Bus Safety Study Committee; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, school bus drivers are intrusted with the lives and safety of many of Georgia's children during potentially dangerous commutes to and from schools each school day; and

WHEREAS, these commutes are becoming longer and more hazardous due to an increase in traffic congestion and a reduction in the number of available school buses; and

WHEREAS, the basic design of the large yellow school bus has not been changed since 1977, and many families of school bus accident victims, informed parents, the national PTA, and multiple physician groups are demanding improvements in school buses and the use of seatbelts on school buses; and

WHEREAS, many, if not all, of the NHTSA school bus safety reports presented to congress obscure the absence of lateral and rollover protection by testing and evaluating school buses entirely from a frontal accident configuration; moreover, such studies which have focused on seat performance have led to conclusions that serve to exaggerate the safety of school buses and imply a level of safety that is alleged by some to be invalid; and

WHEREAS, for more than 35 years, engineers have recommended use of a lap belt to provide substantial additional protection to child passengers of school buses; and

WHEREAS, the absence of safety belts on school buses has led to substantial liability imposed against state and local governments; and

WHEREAS, each year in this nation children are injured and killed in motor vehicle accidents while riding school buses, and it is imperative that this body ensure that everything that can be done is being done to prevent harm to Georgia's children.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the House School Bus Safety Study Committee is created, to be composed of five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of Representatives. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before December 1, 2011. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2011.
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