A U.S. congressman representing New Jersey is pushing to make it mandatory for all school buses across the country to require seat belts on board.

New Jersey currently has a similar law on the books and all new school buses must be equipped with lap and shoulder belts.

Now there’s a push to make that the law across the country, while at the same time, ensuring school bus drivers are alerted when students aren’t wearing seatbelts.

The push for an audible “driver alert” is in direct response to the 2018 school bus crash that took the lives of two people in New Jersey. Ten-year-old Miranda Vargas and teacher Jennifer Williamson Kennedy were killed in that crash. Both had left East Brook Middle School in Paramus for a field trip before the bus they were on was hit by a dump truck. Those on board were not wearing seatbelts.

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Rep. Josh Gottheimer is pushing for the nationwide installation of three-point safety belts.

“We don’t allow our children to ride without their seatbelt when they’re in the car,” Gottheimer said. “In our car, you know when someone isn’t wearing a seatbelt, you hear that annoying ‘ding’ until you finally say put your seatbelt on.”

Gottheimer wants such alerts mandated on all school buses along with three-point harnesses instead of lap belts. He’s backed by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data that states 111 people die every year in school bus-related crashes.

Gottheimer is getting help from Joevanny Vargas, father of Miranda Vargas. The 10-year-old was ejected from the bus during the crash. Officials say the driver made an illegal U-turn on Interstate 80 and the bus was struck by a dump truck.

Joevanny Vargas says he believes a seat belt would have saved his daughter’s life.

“I think she would’ve definitely been with us today. This could’ve been avoided,” Joevanny Vargas said.

Gottheimer also wants Miranda’s Law passed on a national level. The driver of her bus had 20 license suspensions and five crashes.

Gottheimer says that under Miranda's Law if a bus driver gets in trouble, “The school or school bus company will receive an alert about that infraction within 24 hours.”

Under current law, a bus company only needs to check driver records once a year. As for Miranda Vargas, her father says if she had survived, she would be 17 and entering her senior year in high school alongside her twin sister.