Houston ISD faces $29.1M cost to meet new Texas school bus seat belt law

On May 14, Houston ISD’s board of managers opted to request an exemption to a new state law requiring three-point seat belts on school buses that would cost the district about $29.1 million to comply with.

Current situation

Senate Bill 546 requires public school districts to add three-point seat belts to all school buses by Sept. 1, 2029, according to a May 14 presentation from HISD Chief of Organizational Effectiveness Kari Feinberg. HISD has 278 buses that would either need to be retrofitted or replaced to comply with the new law, which could cost the district:

• $4.51 million total—or $24,000-$38,000 per bus—for retrofitting
• $24.59 million total—or $156,000-$165,000 per bus—to replace buses

“The district's budget does not permit an investment of over $29 million in new school buses and retrofitting current buses with three-point seatbelts,” Feinberg said.

The action taken

HISD trustees unanimously voted to file a petition with the state stating that the district can’t afford to meet the seat belt requirements by the deadline.

Feinberg said SB 546 was not clear on how long the exemption would last, but she believes it will be effective at least for one year.

What else?

SB 546 was enacted in September and was approved during the state's 2025 legislative session, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Other public school districts across the Greater Houston area—such as Humble, New Caney, Katy and Tomball ISDs—have also filed for exemptions, as previously reported.