Interpretation ID: 77-4.45

TYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA

DATE: 12/02/77

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Joseph J. Levin Jr.; NHTSA

TO: Glen English; House of Representatives

TITLE: FMVSR INTERPRETATION

TEXT: This confirms the conversation between Judy Dutterer of your staff and Roger Tilton of my staff concerning the applicability of the new Federal school bus regulations to activity buses.

The Motor Vehicle and School Bus Safety Amendments of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-492) defined school bus to include buses used to transport children to and from school and related events. In the legislative history of those amendments, Congress clearly indicated that all buses used to transport school children to and from events related to school should be covered by the new school bus safety standards. Accordingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires that all activity buses designed to transport school children to and from such events comply with the new standards.

You should note that we have initiated rulemaking, in response to a petition, to examine the issue of whether activity buses should have different requirements applicable to them since they are frequently involved in long distance student transportation. Any action on that issue will be published in the Federal Register.