New Jersey Lawmakers Approve School Bus Safety Bill

NEW JERSEY (CBSNewYork) -- Lawmakers in New Jersey approved a bill Tuesday aimed at improving school bus safety.

The bill requires new school buses to be equipped with with three-point lap and shoulder safety belts. New Jersey already requires lap seat belts on all school buses, but not shoulder belts.

Assembly Democrats Yvonne Lopez, Daniel Benson, Lisa Swain and Chris Tully sponsored the bill.

The push for safety upgrades from Members of the Senate and Assembly Transportation Committees comes after a deadly field trip crash on Route 80.

Ten-year-old Miranda Vargas and teacher Jennifer Williamson were killed last month while traveling from Paramus to Waterloo Village. Their driver is accused of trying to make an illegal U-turn on the interstate.

A crash survivor recalled how he woke up in the hospital.

"I asked what happened to the bus," he said. "I asked what happened to my friends and asked if I was going to die."

The bill will now go to the Assembly Speaker for further review.