Press Releases

Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) cosponsored H.R. 1390 – the Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety (BUSES) Act of 2011.  The act will strengthen the U.S. Department of Transportation’s oversight and ability to set uniform safety standards on new and existing buses.  This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), along with Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Tim Holden (D-PA).

Bucshon stated:

“Buses and motorcoaches are one of the main ways that Hoosiers choose to travel and we need make sure the appropriate safety measures are in place.  I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation that will keep Hoosiers safe and help small businesses across Indiana.”

The BUSES Act improves the safety of the nation’s approximately 35,000 motorcoaches, which provide 750 million passenger trips annually. While the intercity motorcoach industry, which includes scheduled service, charter, and tour operations, continues to be an extremely safe mode of transportation, recent accidents suggest the continued need for improvement.  The proposed safety measures are supported by many industry-related organizations that are owned and operated in Indiana’s 8th Congressional District.

“For me, Rep. Bucshon’s support for HR 1390 is an example of how our elected officials should stand up for small business,” said Charles Beckwith of Turner Coaches, owned and operated in Terre Haute, IN.   

The BUSES Act of 2011 will:

·         Establish minimum training requirements for drivers seeking a commercial driver’s license (CDL) with a  passenger endorsement

·         Encourage USDOT to review States’ current requirements for earning a CDL with a passenger endorsement

·         Improve oversight of the heath of CDL drivers and CDL medical certificates

·         Seek to root out bad actors by requiring USDOT to register only those operators willing and able to comply with all federal regulations, eliminating so-called “reincarnated” carriers that have gone out of business and begun operations again to avoid enforcement

The BUSES Act takes into consideration that America’s motorcoach industry is largely a small, family owned business.  To improve safety and strengthen this critical industry in a weak economy, the BUSES Act of 2011:

·         Authorizes tax credits and loans to help defray the costs of safety improvements

·         Provides grants to the smallest operators who show a demonstrated need for aid

 “The American Bus Association strongly supports HR 1390 as the right approach to making travel by motorcoach even safer.  We applaud Rep. Bucshon for his support of the “BUSES Act of 2011” and his efforts to protect the traveling public from illegal bus operators,” said Peter Pantuso, President and CEO of the American Bus Association.  

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