LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to phase in mandatory seat belts on Nebraska school buses is now in the hands of a legislative committee.

The bill by Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha would require public school buses purchased after Jan. 1 to come equipped with lap-shoulder belts. Hilkemann asked the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Monday to advance the legislation to make school buses safer.

Dawn Prescott of Fremont urged lawmakers to pass the measure, saying it might have presented her son’s death in a school bus crash in October 2001.

A lobbyist for Nebraska school boards argues that national research hasn’t shown whether seat belts improve safety on larger school buses. The state already requires seat belts on buses that weigh less than 10,000 pounds.