The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released correspondence pertaining to Senate Bill 546 (89-R), which created new requirements for school systems to report the estimated cost of equipping each school bus with three-point seat belts within their district to TEA.
Senate Bill 546 (89th Regular Legislative Session) requires school systems that make a budget limitation determination under Transportation Code, §547.701(e)(1), to submit to TEA the estimated cost to equip each bus operated by and/or contracted for use by the district with three-point seat belts. Districts must submit this information to TEA no later than the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
TEA will be launching estimated cost reporting through Sentinel starting on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Reporting will conclude at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 29, 2026.
In addition to required reporting to TEA, if a school system board has determined that its budget does not permit the district to purchase or contract buses that are equipped with three-point seat belts (required in Transportation Code, §547.701), the following must be presented in a public meeting:
- The number of buses operated by or contracted for use by the school system that are not equipped with seat belts, the number that are equipped with two-point seat belts, and the number that are equipped with three-point seat belts; and
- The estimated cost to equip each bus operated by and/or contracted for use by the school system with three-point seat belts
As part of the required estimated cost reporting, school systems will be able to participate in a grant opportunity related to seat belt installation. Details pertaining to the grant will be the subject of a future TAA.
TEA has created a Guidebook for SB546 Reporting on School Seat Belt Costs to help school systems prepare for the required reporting. TEA will also host a series of optional Office Hours sessions throughout the reporting period.
Questions can be emailed to safeschools@tea.texas.gov. The full correspondence can be found here.
