Sen. Jeremy Cooney, D-Rochester, recently announced the passage of a bill mandated for charter bus safety information.

Bill S8691 will require safety briefings to be conducted by drivers prior to trips on charter buses. The bill was created following a series of tragic accidents involving charter buses over the past several years. In 2025, a crash on the New York State Thruway in Genesee County resulted in the deaths of five people.

“Seatbelts prevent tragedies, seatbelts get passengers home safe, seatbelts save lives,” said Senator Cooney in a statement. “We’ve seen far too many tragedies in our state where New Yorkers didn’t get the opportunity to return home to their loved ones. It’s a scenario no family should ever have to face."

In 2016, federal regulations required new charter buses to be equipped with seatbelts for passengers, however, it was not required to physically wear these seatbelts while on a bus.

In 2024, Bill S9361 was signed into law, requiring passengers to wear seatbelts on motorcoaches following a fatal  crash on Long Island involving two adult chaperones on a school trip. It took affect in 2025.

Senator Cooney says his 2026 bill would require drivers to conduct a pre-trip safety briefing, informing passengers of the new seat belt requirements prior to the start of the trip, as recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seatbelts can reduce fatalities by 44% and severe injuries by 45% on buses.

Since the passage of the bill, it has been sent to the governor's office to be signed. The bill will have no fiscal impact on the State or local governments and will take effect one year after it becomes law.