WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate has passed tough, very tough, bus safety legislation that, if adopted by the House, would likely result in the most profound changes to the industry since deregulation 30 years ago.

The bills looooooooong list of mandates includes seatbelts; anti-ejection window glazing to prevent passengers from being thrown from a coach during a severe crash; strong, crush-resistant roofs that can withstand rollovers, improved protection against fires, and better training for operators in the case of fire.

It also would reinstitute roadside safety inspections, and give regulators new tools to crack down on so-called "reincarnated" operators that are put out of service one day and return under a new name the next.

It would give the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enhanced enforcement authority, including increased civil penalties for violations of out-of-service orders, stronger testing and registration requirements to prevent bad actors from getting into the industry in the first place, stepped-up vehicle safety inspections, and a requirement that all motorcoaches have electronic on-board recorders, which are designed to make sure drivers are not violating hours-of-service rules.

To improve driver fitness, the bill would require better commercial driver training, and create a National Commercial Motor Vehicle Medical Registry to ensure that only medically qualified drivers are on the road.

Finally, the measure would require the FMCSA to develop a letter-grade safety rating system for motorcoach operators. (See March 1 issue of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

"This bill will save lives," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who began pushing for expansive bus safety provisions in a piece of legislation he and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, introduced four years ago, the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act.

After being stymied in their efforts to get the legislation to the Senate floor, Brown and Hutchinson were able to have it inserted into the massive federal highway and public transportation bill the Senate passed last month.

"Five years after a tour bus (crash) that claimed the lives of seven young people from the Bluffton University community (see March 15 Bus & Motorcoach News), the Senate has passed legislation to enact critical tour bus safety standards," said Brown.

"These safety measures are commonsense safety features that have been widely used," Brown continued. "By equipping buses with seatbelts, stronger roofs, and safer windows, we can prevent deaths and minimize injuries. With bus ridership increasing, its more important than ever to pass this legislation. We need to ensure bus trips dont turn into tragedies."

Added Hutchinson: "Too many lives have been wasted in tragedies that are entirely preventable because of poor bus safety standards.

"Basic safety standards, such as requiring seatbelts, driver training and strengthening safety inspections, will go a long way in making our roads safer for everyone - not just bus occupants," she said.

"We have waited too long to make changes to federal law that will save lives. Im pleased to see my colleagues work together to pass a solution to a major problem affecting our roads."

An identical version of the Brown-Hutchinson bill is pending in the House, as is a competing safety bill that has widespread industry support.

Both are expected to be topic No. 1 when members of the United Motorcoach Association travel to Washington late this month to participate in UMAs annual Capitol Hill Days. (See March 15 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

Greyhound Lines has been the only power player in the motorcoach industry to publicly support the Brown-Hutchinson bill. (See Aug. 1 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

The proposed letter-grade safety rating provision included in the Senate bill was the handiwork of Sen. Charles Schumer, D.-N.Y.

Schumers plan would require the FMCSA to create clear and understandable safety ratings to be posted on buses and at terminals, and require ticket sellers and bus companies to make their full safety record and history easily accessible at the point of sale.

The Schumer system is similar in concept to the letter-grade system widely used in rating the safety of restaurants.

"Today, the Senate gets an A for passing this crucial bill that will finally alert passengers about bus companies safety records before they buy a ticket, and I urge the House to make the grade and pass the legislation immediately," said Schumer.

"For too long, bus passengers have been in the dark when it comes to bus safety, but now were closer than ever to . . . providing passengers with the information they need to stay safe."