Bus Operator Safety and Security Act

S. 5264 would amend federal transit law to require that new fixed-route buses purchased with certain federal funds be equipped with a full floor-to-ceiling protective barrier around the driver's workstation. The barrier must fully enclose the operator area and block unwanted entry of people, fluids, or objects, while still preserving the driver's outward sightlines. The requirement would apply beginning two years after enactment, and only to buses 30 feet or longer with a useful life of 10 or more years bought with federal funds (excluding certain rural transit funds under Section 5311). Transit agencies could skip the requirement if a labor union representing the plurality of frontline workers agrees to waive it for a specific bus purchase.

The bill primarily affects public transit agencies that buy buses with federal money, bus manufacturers who would need to build compliant workstations, and bus operators, whose safety from assault or contamination while driving is the bill's evident aim. Riders and transit-dependent communities are affected indirectly through any changes to bus procurement or agency labor negotiations.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 5, 2026, by Senator Jack Reed with Senator Hawley as a cosponsor, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It would need committee consideration, and then floor votes in the Senate and House, before it could be enacted; no further action has occurred yet.

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