WHEREAS, the pupil transportation departments of local school divisions throughout the Commonwealth are dedicated to providing the safest and most efficient transportation for all students; and

WHEREAS, the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and others agree that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school; and

WHEREAS, some 480,000 school buses in the United States carry 26 million children, more than half of America's school children, each day, rarely with serious incident; 14,131 school buses transport 918,457 children daily in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, safety features, including the color and size of school buses, height, reinforced sides, flashing red lights, cross view mirrors, and crossing and stop sign arms, ensure children are protected while entering, riding, and exiting the bus; and

WHEREAS, school bus drivers are highly trained professionals who have each student's safety in mind; drivers receive training in student behavior management, loading and unloading, security, and first aid; and

WHEREAS, bus drivers are required to take part in pre-employment and random drug and alcohol testing as well as driving record checks and criminal background checks; bus drivers must also pass annual physical exams to keep their Commercial Driver's Licenses with a School Bus Endorsement valid; and

WHEREAS, the school bus industry operates under a set of safety, security, health, and driver qualification guidelines that meet, and in many cases exceed, federal and state laws; these parameters ensure that school buses are a safe method of transportation of school children; and

WHEREAS, school buses are designed and constructed with numerous safety features, and the school bus industry works continually to incorporate the latest technology, training, and testing to keep school buses safe; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly designate February, in 2013 and in each succeeding year, as Love the Bus Month in Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to Kermit Shaffer so that members of the Virginia Association for Pupil Transportation may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the Senate post the designation of this month on the General Assembly's website.