Figures, Van Drew Introduce the Bipartisan Bus Operator Safety and Security Act

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Shomari C. Figures (D- AL-02) and Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02), as members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act, bipartisan legislation designed to improve safety and security for frontline bus operators. The bill will require new federally funded buses to include protective barriers around operator workstations, and is a direct response to an alarming national rise in reported assaults on bus operators and transit. It is endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Transportation Trades Department (TTD), and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

"Improving operator safety is not a partisan issue. It is a public safety

issue," said Congressman Figures. "I am proud to work alongside my colleague, Congressman Van Drew, to introduce bipartisan legislation that will equip federally funded buses with protective barriers in order to ensure that every operator can do their job without fear of assault or harm."

"Our bus operators deserve to be safe when they go to work," said Congressman Van Drew. "This bill is straightforward. It gives operators a secure workstation and the basic protection any worker should have. I am proud to be a co-lead on this effort."

"Not a day goes by that I don't hear of a transit worker being shot, stabbed, spit on, or verbally abused. In fact, at least 42 transit workers are assaulted each day on U.S. transit systems," said John Costa, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing transit workers in North America. "In 2024, there were more than 11,000 incidents of transit workers being assaulted. This is unacceptable. This piece of legislation, the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act, which requires all new buses to be equipped with a fully enclosed bus operator workstation, better protects workers from vicious attacks and saves lives. Transit operator safety is public safety."

For years, labor unions have been sounding the alarm about an alarming increase in workplace violence and passenger-led assaults against transit workers," said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD). "We commend Congressman Figures for introducing the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act to make the workplace safer for our nation's dedicated bus operators."

According to national reports, physical assaults on bus operators have risen more than 45% since 2023, and 2025 is on pace to exceed more than 40 assaults on bus operators per day.

The Bus Operator Safety and Security Act updates Section 5329 of Title 49 of the United States Code to ensure that, beginning two years after enactment, the operator workstation of any new fixed route bus 30 feet or longer purchased with federal funds will be equipped with a barrier. These barriers are designed to:

• Fully enclose the workstation and prevent unwanted entry of persons, fluids, or objects;
• Reach from the bus floor to the ceiling; and
• Maintain clear lines of sight for the operator to the exterior of the bus.

The Bus Operator Safety Act was also submitted into the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Portal by Figures for consideration in the final reauthorization package, which is expected to pass next year.