SB 968 Maryland Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Education - School Bus - Fire Safety Standards

SB 968 repeals Maryland's requirement that school buses be constructed with materials meeting the National School Transportation specifications' seat upholstery fire block test. Instead, it directs the Motor Vehicle Administration (with input from the Department) to develop new fire safety regulations for school buses. This change directly affects all school buses operating in Maryland, shifting oversight from a specific federal standard to state-developed regulations. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and amends Maryland Code, Education Article, Section 7-808.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 13, 2026 Signed May 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Education - School Bus - Fire Safety Standards → Third - Education - School Bus - Fire Safety Standards · 2 edits

MINOR

This bill modifies Maryland's school bus fire safety standards by clarifying that the requirement to use specific fire-resistant materials applies to the entire bus except for the driver's seat. Previously, the law broadly exempted the driver's seat from these material requirements; the amendment now explicitly states that the driver's seat is excluded from the rule, while the rest of the bus must still meet the National School Transportation specifications.

Scope change

The scope of the fire safety material requirements was narrowed by adding a specific exemption for the driver's seat, ensuring the rule applies to all other seating and bus components.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for school buses to be constructed with specific fire-resistant materials now explicitly excludes the driver's seat, whereas the previous version broadly exempted the driver's seat without clarifying if other parts were affected.

A new paragraph was added to the statute to formally state that the fire safety material requirements do not apply to the driver's seat of a school bus.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 6, 2026 · House of Delegates Apr 1, 2026

How they voted

43–0

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 49

Mar 6, 2026

D Democratic36

31 Yea 5

86% Yea

R Republican13

12 Yea 1

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 12, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 524

executive

Apr 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Returned Passed

upper

Apr 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Apr 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation

lower

Apr 1, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (135-0-7)

house of delegates

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Referred Environment and Transportation Ways and Means

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion Special Order until Later Today (Senator Feldman) Adopted

upper

Mar 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (43-0-6)

senate

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

Rereferred to Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 13, 2026

Committee

First Reading Senate Rules

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors