Seat belt proposal rejected 2 years in a row

DENVER — For the second year in a row, a proposal to require seat belts on school buses has failed in the Colorado General Assembly.

Senate President Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont) included the proposal as an amendment to House Bill 1232, which would clarify the definition of "school vehicles" in state law.

Shaffer had made the same proposal in a bill introduced in the 2009 session (as reported here), which was rejected by members of the House Education Committee.

This year, lawmakers again rejected the proposal, saying the measure would be too costly and that school buses are already safe, The Denver Post reported.

The amendment failed on a 5-29 vote, while the underlying school vehicle bill won approval on a 34-0 vote.