Res. No. 590 Title Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature and Governor to enact Assembly A: 4199, to require all school buses to be equipped with safety belts and to require the use of safety belts on school buses. Body By Council Members Provenzano, Addabbo, Baez, Barron, Comrie, DeBlasio, Felder, Fidler, Foster, Gerson, Jackson, Liu, Martinez, McMahon, Nelson, Recchia, Sanders, Sears, Serrano, Stewart, Vallone and Weprin; also Council Member Seabrook Whereas; Seat belts are a proven safety measure that prevent passenger injury when a short stop or collision occurs; and Whereas, This consideration is heightened when it comes to the safety of our children, and is accompanied by an obligation to instill habits that lead to safe behavior; and Whereas, Teaching children to "buckle up" is an effective means of influencing them to use seat belts when riding in other motor vehicles; and Whereas, Allowing children to ride on school buses without safety belts undermines the objective of encouraging the use of seat belts; and Whereas, New York State, in Vehicle and Traffic Law section 383(5)(a) recognizes the need to require passenger seat belts on school buses for every bus manufactured after July 1, 1987; and Whereas, the Vehicle and Traffic Law, in section 383(6), provides authority to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to grant exemptions for certain school buses; and Whereas, Assembly Member Mark Weprin has introduced legislation that would require all school buses in operation to be equipped with safety belts, irrespective of when the bus was manufactured; and Whereas, this legislation would close the loopholes that exist in the current law; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Legislature to enact A: 4199 to require all school buses to be equipped with safety belts and require the use of safety belts on school buses. APB LS#1254