LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska joined a number of states considering a lap/shoulder belt requirement for school buses, but concerns about liability and money may once again grind the debate to a halt.

The Transportation and Telecommunications of Committee of Nebraska’s unicameral legislature last week heard the bill (LB 255), which would require lap/shoulder belts on buses purchased on or after Jan. 1, 2010. At this writing, the committee had yet to vote on whether to move the bill forward.

Like many past bills, liability is a major concern in this legislation, noted Russ Inbody, the state’s director of pupil transportation. Currently, the bill says it should not increase or decrease district liability if a student is injured because he or she does not wear or misuses a seat belt. The bill offers similar protection to the district if students are injured on buses not equipped with the restraints.

But Inbody said the bill omits protection for the driver, and it has many questioning whether these clauses would have any teeth.

Similar bills failed both last year and in 2006. Revisions to last year’s version of the bill were intended to patch similar liability concerns that had stymied earlier versions of the legislation. If liability does not snag the bill, money may. The mandate would be unfunded. Inbody said outfitting the 2,638 buses in the state with lap/shoulder restraints would add between $8,000 and $12,000 to the cost of new bus purchases.

California requires lap/shoulder belts on all new buses, and Texas has a similar requirement that will not be fully implemented until the legislature allocates funding. At least 10 other states are considering lap/shoulder belt laws this year, including Colorado and Wyoming.