Relating to seat belts on buses that transport children.
Bill overview
Relating to seat belts on buses that transport children.
Reference notes
SB 546 sources, status methodology and verification
Sources
- SB 546 official legislative recordPrimary bill-status record.
- Current official bill textOfficial bill text or printing.
Methodology
KeepTXRed treats the official legislative record and latest official action as the factual status layer for SB 546. Status labels are normalized for browsing, while the legislative timeline and documents preserve official action text and source links. Any KeepTXRed explanation below is editorial context and remains separate from the official record.
Last verified
Legislative record synchronized August 29, 2026 at 1:55 AM UTC; latest recorded official action June 20, 2025.
Bill → law → agency context
This relationship layer distinguishes what the normalized official record can prove from what it cannot. Enactment and effective dates come from the bill record. Agency names below are shown only when an official fiscal document supplies a verified agency reference; being cited in a fiscal note does not by itself prove that the agency administers the resulting law.
Bill → law status
SB 546 is recorded as enacted
- Current status
- Effective
- Signed
- June 20, 2025
- Effective
- September 1, 2025
Official fiscal-note agency context
No verified agency references are available from the latest parsed official fiscal material. KeepTXRed does not infer an administering agency from the bill topic or title.
KeepTXRed explanation
This reviewed explanation is separate from the official bill record and is provided for general information, not legal advice.
KeepTXRed summary
Strengthens Texas requirements for three-point seat belts on school buses and other buses used to transport schoolchildren while preserving limited budget and warranty exceptions.
What would change
School districts using a budget exception must publicly report their bus fleet's seat-belt status and estimated compliance cost; TEA must compile statewide needs; districts may accept outside funding; and the statute establishes a delayed compliance date.
Who may be affected
Public-school students, school districts and boards, bus operators and contractors, TEA, parents, and transportation vendors.
When it would take effect
Effective September 1, 2025. Districts are not required to comply with the amended three-point-seat-belt requirement before September 1, 2029; interim district reporting occurs during the 2025-2026 school year and TEA reporting follows by January 1, 2027.
Limits and uncertainty
The statute retains specified exceptions when a district determines its budget does not permit compliant buses or when retrofitting would void a bus warranty.
Editorial sources and review notes
Reviewed against final enrolled text and official TLO bill pages.
Editorial explanation reviewed 9/5/2026.
Current status
Effective
Effective on 9/1/25
Latest official action
Effective on 9/1/25
June 20, 2025 · senate
Who this bill may affect
A verified audience or subject classification has not been attached to this bill yet.
Use the bill overview and official documents to determine whether the proposal may apply to you, your business, or a public agency.
Sponsors
Committee history
- Transportation
Out of committee
Legislative timeline
Effective on 9/1/25
senate · effective
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Official record
Official bill text
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Related articles
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Related content
Ranked by official relationships such as sponsorship, committee referral, district, election, session, and direct news coverage.
Representative: jose menendez
author
Representative: tom craddick
sponsor
Representative: cesar blanco
coauthor
Representative: royce west
coauthor
Representative: sarah eckhardt
coauthor
District: texas house district 82
sponsor district
District: texas senate district 14
sponsor district
District: texas senate district 23
sponsor district
District: texas senate district 26
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District: texas senate district 29
sponsor district