From Nebraska CDL training add-ons, tackling stop arm passing loopholes in Minnesota, and increased penalties for school bus driver DUIs and firearm incidents, here’s the latest in school bus legislation across the U.S.
The school transportation sector continues to see policy shifts in early 2026, as new bills are introduced, support for anti-trafficking training grows, and legal actions push for tougher consequences for school bus safety violations.
Recent news includes a bill calling for anti-trafficking curriculum to be added to commercial driver's license training, a legal fix to a loophole allowing drivers to pass school buses if the stop arm is not fully extended, new legislation increasing the penalty for school bus driver DUIs, and tougher penalties for shooting firearms in occupied schools and school buses.
Below is a roundup of several school transportation laws and initiatives moving forward in early 2026.
Nebraska Bill to Require Anti-Trafficking Training at CDL Training Sites
TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking) Deputy Director and Senior Director of External Affairs Kylla Lanier testified before the Nebraska Transportation and Telecommunications Committee of the Nebraska Legislature on February 17 in support of Legislative Bill 1073, which would require anti-trafficking training for commercial drivers enrolling in CDL training sites throughout Nebraska.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Carolyn Bosn. In addition to Lanier, Kent Grisham, president of the Nebraska Trucking Association, the Office of the Attorney General, and a Nebraska NGO all testified in favor of the bill. No one opposed or provided neutral testimony.
The bill, according to a TAT newsletter, would not affect current drivers and passed out of committee on an 8-0 vote. It now moves to the full legislature for a vote.
Minnesota Senate Passes Fix to School Bus Stop Arm Loophole
On Monday, March 9, the Minnesota Senate unanimously approved Senate File 3623, clarifying “when motorists are required to stop for school buses.”
According to 5 Eyewitness News, the bill’s passage came after the Minnesota Court of Appeals overturned a driver’s conviction for illegal school bus passing because “the equipment was only partially extended.”
If the bill becomes law, drivers will be required to stop at least 20 ft. from any school bus displaying flashing red lights, regardless of whether the stop arm is extended. Also included is language codifying that flashing amber lights are a formal warning to drivers that the bus has come to a stop, and flashing red lights are coming next.
“I’m proud that the first bill of the 2026 session was a bipartisan, unanimous vote in the Minnesota Senate,” said Senator Johnson Stewart. “The safety of our students is paramount to all of us, and I’m glad to work across the aisle on such an important issue.”
According to the Minnesota Senate DFL, the bill passed the Senate on a 67-0 vote. The bill awaits a vote by the entire Minnesota House of Representatives.
Legislation Introduced in Pennsylvania to Increase School Bus DUI Penalty
In Pennsylvania, Senator Tracy Pennycuik has introduced legislation that would “increase penalties for school bus drivers who drive while under the influence.”
According to WTAJ, roughly 1.5 million children in Pennsylvania ride the bus every day.
“We must do all that we can to protect children, especially as they are transported to and from school and school-sponsored events,” Pennycuick said. “Alarmingly, in my legislative district, 54 school children were transported by a school bus driver who, according to the criminal investigation, tested positive for marijuana with a blood alcohol content of 0.331%, even though state law sets a strict 0.02% threshold for school bus drivers and 0.08% for non-commercial drivers.”
According to Pennycuik, the school bus driver “faces numerous felony charges of DUI, child endangerment, and reckless endangerment.”
Pennycuik argued that the General Assembly has acted to protect children getting on and off the bus and must now hold the bus drivers themselves accountable.
Alabama House Passes Bill Increasing Penalties for Shooting Firearms into Occupied Schools, School Buses
In early March, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill increasing the penalty for firing a gun into an occupied school or school bus. The bill moves to the Senate for consideration.
According to the Alabama Reflector, HB 420, sponsored by Representative Mack Butler, increases the crime of shooting a firearm inside of an occupied school from a Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison to a Class A felony punishable by 10 to 99 years in prison.
“My nephew is an assistant district attorney in Etowah County, and he pointed out to me the other day that it is a lesser crime to discharge a firearm into an occupied school bus or building than it is a car,” Butler said.
Shooting inside an unoccupied school bus is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Butler’s bill also removes a provision that made the law inapplicable to those under the age of 19.
The bill passed 100-0 with minimal debate and discussion. If passed by the Senate, the bill would take effect on October 1.
