WASHINGTON A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would require seatbelts and fire fighting equipment on over-the-road buses, as well as stronger windows and roofs.

In addition, the bill calls for better testing of commercial drivers before their licenses are granted.

The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2007 was introduced by Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who say they were motivated by the tragic Hurricane Rita bus fire of two years ago and the Bluffton University baseball team overpass crash of earlier this year.

"I am pleased to co-sponsor new legislation that will enhance federal safety guidelines governing motorcoaches," Hutchison said in announcing the bill. "With an eye toward prevention, we can help avert future motorcoach accidents and make the roads safer for everyone."

Added Brown: "In the wake of the Bluffton bus crash, one thing is clear we need stronger safety regulations. This bill takes the lessons learned from the tragic events of the Bluffton University baseball team's motorcoach accident and aims to correct them for future riders. It will ensure that motorcoaches are built, equipped and operated to be as safe as possible."

The legislation would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to overhaul federal safety standards applicable to motorcoaches and improve the operational requirements of drivers and companies.

The legislation supposedly would lead to the adoption of available safety technologies, strengthen oversight and compliance with federal safety rules, and encourage better training of motorcoach operators to protect passengers from death and injury due to ejection, rollover, roof crush and fires.

"We are in favor of anything that improves passenger safety," said Victor Parra, president and CEO of the United Motorcoach Association, which represents 900 bus operators.

But Parra said he was concerned the bill did not mandate extensive testing of bus enhancements before requiring operators to install them.

"We're not against seatbelts, we just want to make sure that science drives policy," said Parra. "Not the other way around."

There is a provision in the bill for testing but it is not clear exactly how much testing would be required.

"If there's a better way to protect people on motorcoaches, we're all for it," Parra reiterated. "But let's look at the best way to do it."

He noted that coach windows are designed to open easily during an accident or fire to allow passengers to escape. And he pointed out that there's no guarantee those onboard will wear seatbelts.

Most of the players on the Bluffton bus were asleep and stretched out across their seats or in the aisle when their bus crashed. "Obviously, seat belts wouldn't have helped them," Parra noted.