Congress of the United States
‘Washington, BE 20515
January 11,2017
‘The Honorable Bill Shuster ‘The Honorable Peter DeFazio
Chairman Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure and Infrastructure
2165 Raybum House Building 2164 Rayburn House Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio:
We write today to ask that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure convene a hearing
carly in the 115" Congress to consider safety in the operation of school buses. In their overview
of Schoo! Bus Safety, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wrote that, “Every day
across the country, nearly 500,000 buses travel a combined 260 million miles, carrying more
than 25 million students to and from school and activities.”' Despite a decent safety record,
accidents still happen and they jeopardize the lives of our students. Recent fatal school bus
crashes in Maryland and Tennessee have raised urgent questions about the oversight of
commercial schoo! bus operators, including the adequacy of current procedures for assessing
drivers’ medical fitness for duty and the safety history of companies that operate school buses.
On November 1, 2016, six people were killed in Baltimore, Maryland when a school bus erashed
into a car, “then struck a pillar” in a cemetery, and finally collided head-on with a public transit
bus? The NTSB launched an investigation of this accident and, on December 7, 2016, issued a
preliminary report. In that report, the NTSB stated that “The school bus driver had a history of
hypertension, diabetes, and seizures,” and “In the past five years, he had been involved in at least
12 crashes or incidents while operating a school bus or personal vehicle.” In addition, the NTSB
found that although the school bus driver “held a current medical certificate,” he “was no longer
' National Transportation Safety Board, N7SB School Bus Safety (accessed on Deo.9,
2016) (online at hitp://www.ntsb.gov/safety/Pages/schoolbuses.aspx).
2 6 Dead, 10 Hospitalized After MTA Bus, School Bus Collide in SW Baltimore,
Baltimore WJZ (Nov. 1, 2016) (online at http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/11/01/mta-bus-
crashes-with-school-bus-in-southwest-baltimore/).Chairman Shuster
Ranking Member DeFazio
Page 2
authorized to operate a commercial motor vehicle” because that certificate “was not on file with
the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.”
On November 21, 2016, a school bus crash in Chattanooga, Tennessee, killed six children.
Media reports indicate that the driver in that accident had had at least one previous accident
while operating a school bus, and that “The private company that owned the bus has had 142
crashes with injuries and three fatalities in the past two years.”* The NTSB has launched an
investigation of this accident and, on December 1, 2016, the NTSB announced that it expected to
publish a preliminary report “within the next few weeks.”>
While the NTSB investigations of these horrific crashes are ongoing, the facts in the cases that
have come to light raise serious concern, We urge the Committee to utilize its authority over the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration to probe what more can be done to protect the nation’s schoolchildren, and
Whether any changes to federal law are warranted, We ask that you convene a hearing early in
the 115" Congress to provide Members an opportunity to examine this critical safety issue.
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress
Sincerely,
Eijah E. Cummings
ber of Congress
of Congress
* National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on School,
Transit Bus Crash (Dec. 7, 2016) (online at www.ntsb.gov/news/press-
releases/Pages/PR20161207.aspx).
* Driver Charged in Fatal Chattanooga Bus Crash Appears in Court, The Tennessean
(Dec. 1, 2016) (online at www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/1 1/29/hearing-delayed-driver-
charged-fatal-chattanooga-school-bus-crash/94594048/),
° National Transportation Safety Board, Chattanooga School Bus Crash Investigation
Update (Dee. 1, 2016) (online at www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20161201b.aspx).Congress of the United States
‘Waslyington, AC 20515
January 11,2017
‘The Honorable Bill Shuster ‘The Honorable Peter DeFazio
Chairman Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure and Infrastructure
2165 Rayburn House Building 2164 Rayburn House Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio:
We write today to ask that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure convene a hearing
carly in the 115" Congress to consider safety in the operation of school buses. In their overview
of School Bus Safety, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wrote that, “Every day
across the country, nearly 500,000 buses travel a combined 260 million miles, carrying more
than 25 million students to and from school and activities.” Despite a decent safety record,
accidents still happen and they jeopardize the lives of our students, Recent fatal school bus
crashes in Maryland and Tennessee have raised urgent questions about the oversight of
commercial school bus operators, including the adequacy of current procedures for assessing
drivers’ medical fitness for duty and the safety history of companies that operate schoo! buses.
On November 1, 2016, six people were killed in Baltimore, Maryland when a school bus crashed
into a car, “then struck a pillar” in @ cemetery, and finally collided head-on with a publi transit
bus? The NTSB launched an investigation of this accident and, on December 7, 2016, issued a
preliminary report. In that report, the NTSB stated that “The school bus driver had a history of
hypertension, diabetes, and seizures,” and “In the past five years, he had been involved in at least
12 crashes or incidents while operating a school bus or personal vehicle.” In addition, the NTSB
found that although the school bus driver “held a current medical certificate,” he “was no longer
"National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB Schoo! Bus Safety (accessed on Dec.9,
2016) (online at http:!/www.ntsb.gov/safety/Pages/schoolbuses.aspx).
? 6 Dead, 10 Hospitalized Afier MTA Bus, School Bus Collide in SW Baltimore,
Baltimore WJZ (Nov. 1, 2016) (online at http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/11/01/mta-bus-
crashes-with-school-bus-in-southwest-baltimore/)..Chairman Shuster
Ranking Member DeFazio
Page 2
authorized to operate a commercial motor vehicle” because that certificate “was not on file with
the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.”*
‘On November 21, 2016, a school bus crash in Chattanooga, Tennessee, killed six children,
Media reports indicate that the driver in that accident had had at least one previous accident
while operating a school bus, and that “The private company that owned the bus has had 142
crashes with injuries and three fatalities in the past two years.” The NTSB has launched an
investigation of this accident and, on December 1, 2016, the NTSB announced that it expected to
publish a preliminary report “within the next few weeks.”*
While the NTSB investigations of these horrific crashes are ongoing, the facts in the cases that
have come to light raise serious concem, We urge the Committee to utilize its authority over the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration to probe what more can be done to protect the nation’s schoolchildren, and
‘whether any changes to federal law are warranted. We ask that you convene a hearing early in
the 115" Congress to provide Members an opportunity to examine this critical safety issue.
0
Sincerely,
y eo
OE Camen Z
B. Cummings steye’ Cohen
ber of Congress jember of Congress Member of Congress
* National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on School,
Transit Bus Crash (Dec. 7, 2016) (online at www.ntsb.gov/news/press-
releases/Pages/PR20161207.aspx).
* Driver Charged in Fatal Chattanooga Bus Crash Appears in Court, The Tennessean
(Dec. 1, 2016) (online at www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/1 I/29/hearing-delayed-driver-
charged-fatal-chattanooga-school-bus-erash/94594048/),
* National Transportation Safety Board, Chattanooga School Bus Crash Investigation
Update (Dec. 1, 2016) (online at www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20161201b.aspx).