The U.S. Senate recognized September 2026 as National School Bus Safety Month for the 13th year, highlighting student transportation safety, illegal school bus passing, and the importance of training and public education.

Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) led the bipartisan resolution, which encouraged safer driving practices around school buses and recognized the transportation professionals responsible for getting students to and from school.

“As students return to school in Nebraska, I'm proud to introduce School Bus Safety Month with Senator Peters supporting transportation professionals who keep our students safe,” Senator Fischer said.

Fischer has sponsored the resolution for more than a decade, while Peters has served repeatedly as its lead Democratic co-sponsor since 2018. With Peters preparing to retire from the Senate at the end of his term, 2026 marks his sixth and final year in that role.

“Parents need to have the peace of mind that when they drop their kids off at the bus stop, they will get to school and back home safely,” said Senator Peters. “I’m proud to again co-lead this bipartisan resolution with Senator Fischer to designate September as National School Bus Safety Month. This resolution will promote safe driving practices and help provide advanced training for school bus professionals to keep our kids safe on their way to and from school."

The recognition also coincides with National School Bus Safety Week, observed October 19–23, under the theme “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes.” For practical ways to reinforce student safety, School Bus Fleet compiled tips, toolkits, and free resources to help districts address illegal passing, promote safe boarding and unloading, and educate their communities.

Focus on Illegal Passing, Student Safety, and Educational Resources

The resolution emphasized the risks students face outside the school bus, particularly during boarding and unloading.

According to the Child Safety Network (CSN), motorists illegally pass stopped school buses tens of millions of times annually, putting students at risk as they enter, exit, or move through danger zones around the vehicle.

School buses transport approximately 48% of K-12 students in an average year and travel more than 4 billion miles during the school year, according to figures cited by CSN. The resolution encourages public education, improved driver training, and evidence-based safety measures and technologies to reduce preventable incidents.

CSN's Safe Ride campaign provides school transportation professionals, students, parents, and communities with safety education and training resources.

The organization offers free downloadable educational videos for students in kindergarten through sixth grade covering school bus danger zones, safe boarding and unloading procedures, emergency evacuations, pedestrian safety, and bullying prevention.

CSN also reports that its security-awareness training materials have reached more than 14,000 school districts, more than 131,000 transportation professionals have received training, and more than 181,000 counterterrorism guides have been provided.

Encouraging School Transportation Industry Collaboration

The 2026 resolution calls for continued cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies, school transportation professionals, educational institutions, safety organizations, and technology providers.

It also encourages media organizations to share public-service messaging and free safety resources that promote safer driving around school buses.

Former Colorado State Senator Don Coram, now president of Child Safety Network Colorado, emphasized the organization's ongoing work with the industry.

“CSN has a very deep bench of experts when it comes to creating product integrity that students’ lives depend upon,” Coram said. “We are in the process of working with the industry to provide best practices and share CSN Safe Ride nationwide.”

The resolution also recognizes school bus drivers and transportation professionals for their role in student safety, particularly during daily loading and unloading operations.