Authorizing City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to determine the safety of our public school children who are transported to and from school in school buses not equipped with seat belt restraints; and to determine whether there are not immediate alternatives available for the protection of our children when riding school buses; and to determine the means, methods and criterion used by the Philadelphia School Reform Commission to ensure the safety of children transported to and from school under their supervision.

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia School Reform Commission, under its supervision, transports children to school in school buses; and

WHEREAS, The safety of our school aged children is paramount to this Body; and

WHEREAS, The use of seat belts restraints have been determined to be critical in preventing serious bodily injury and in maintaining the lives of passengers in automobile accidents; and

WHEREAS, The number of school buses operated under the supervision of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission is unknown and the number of such buses that are equipped with seat belt restraints needs to be determined; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council hereby authorizes City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to determine the safety of our public school children who are transported to and from school in school buses not equipped with seat belt restraints; and to determine whether there are not immediate alternatives available for the protection of our children when riding school buses; and to determine the means, methods and criterion used by the Philadelphia School Reform Commission to ensure the safety of children transported to and from school under their supervision.

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