RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces Legislation to Protect Students on School Buses, in Honor of the Late Miranda Vargas

Above: Gottheimer announces legislation to protect children on school buses.

MIDLAND PARK, NJ — Today, Wednesday, September 4, 2024, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced his plans to reintroduce a bipartisan bus safety package after the passing of ten-year-old Miranda Vargas and Jennifer Williamson in a bus crash. The package contains two bills: the Secure Every Child Under the Right Equipment Standards Act (SECURES) Act and Miranda’s Law.

Since the tragic Paramus bus accident in 2018, Gottheimer has worked closely with the Vargas family and local and state legislators, including New Jersey State Senators Lagana and Sarlo, Assemblyman Tully, and Assemblywoman Swain, to take greater action on school bus safety. He continues to fight for comprehensive federal school bus safety legislation to ensure that no parent ever loses their child again in a tragic accident.

Video of Gottheimer’s remarks here. 

“We will never forget Miranda and Jennifer, and I know that so many are still pained by their passings. I spoke to Miranda’s dad Joevanny just yesterday, and you can still feel the pain in his voice. But, as I know Miranda’s parents feel, we can – and we must — transform tragedy into action for other children and families. By working together, we can ensure that no family has to experience such heartbreak ever again,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “That’s why, this week, I am reintroducing Miranda’s Law and the SECURES Act, bipartisan legislation to protect our children on America’s school buses. As I’ve said from day one: I won’t stop fighting in Washington until we get these critical bipartisan bills passed and ensure our children are safe.”

The SECURES Act requires seat belts on all school buses, makes three-point lap-and-shoulder seat belts the national standard, and encourages innovative measures to ensure students actually wear their seat belts while on school buses.

Miranda’s Law, named for Miranda Vargas, ensures real-time background checks, so that when a school bus driver has any driving infraction beyond a parking ticket, the school or school bus company will receive an alert about that infraction from the Department of Transportation within 24 hours.

The State of School Bus Safety in the United States

• Nearly 500,000 school buses carry more than 25 million students to and from school, activities, and class trips. 
• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 111 people die a year in school-bus-related crashes.
• New Jersey has experienced several school bus crashes this year, including incidents in South Brunswick, Sayreville, and Medford.
• Just eight states require large school buses to have seat belts, including New Jersey.
• Research has shown that only 50 to 80 percent of commercial drivers, including school bus drivers, actually self-report violations. That’s an unacceptable safety risk, because suspended drivers have a crash rate 14 times higher than other drivers.

Gottheimer’s bus safety package has already received bipartisan support from Representatives Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Jill Tokuda (HI-2), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL).

At today’s event, Gottheimer was joined by Midland Park Councilmembers Nancy Peet, Lorraine DeLuca, Robert Sansone, Mark Braunius, and Midland Park Chief of Police Michael Powderley.

Below: Gottheimer announces legislation to protect children on school buses.