Families of children with special needs are speaking out and demanding more accountability and reforms to safety on school busses, particularly those tasked with transporting students with disabilities, making them uniquely vulnerable.

Advocates at a hearing in Trenton today criticized the slow pace lawmakers have taken to tackle the issue, urging them to pass legislation coming up for a vote.

Warning any more delays will cost lives.

Raven Santana reports on the hearing and the tragedy that prompted it.

You're seeing a child like this and not really.

Anabela Rossi painfully shared the last time she saw her son, Matthew, to members of the Senate Education Committee.

Rossi's testimony was part of a push to pass a bill to improve safety on school busses after her son, a student with muscular dystrophy she says, died while being transported on a school bus.

She believes his death was preventable.

We're here because we tragically lost our son, Matthew, on February 10th, 2023, while he was being transported home on a school bus from his, educational vocational program.

And, unfortunately, there was, a lot of failures to provide him the safety that he needed.

Emergency protocols, communication.

And he was essentially neglected.

And, it cost him his life.

So we're here to make sure that that never happens to any other family again, that they will never have to suffer the tragedy that we have.

Rossi testified alongside her daughter and Matthew sister Victoria, who also has muscular dystrophy and is committed to keeping her brother's memory alive.

People like my brother, they wanted to advocate for themselves and they're not able to have.

They're nonverbal, and if they're on the spectrum, even if they are verbal, they may have a more difficult time expressing themselves in a way that we can.

So if this bill is and passed and these risks will probably continue, and I just need that sandwich and should have the same amount of joy and opportunities.

And it's variances that other disabled, non-disabled students would have.

Last year, Sen. Kristin Corrado sponsored the passage of a bill as 3447, which established a Special Education Transportation Task Force, which would study safe transportation practices and how to establish clearer lines of accountability.

It passed the Senate Education Committee in September but is awaiting consideration by the full Senate.

People are listening to us.

And there have been a couple of horrific incidents that happened before and after Matthew.

And people are listening today.

Corrado cosponsored Bill A5142, which includes provisions for mandatory 911 calls and emergencies.

The installation of safety features like video cameras and GPS systems on busses, and comprehensive training for staff.

It establishes penalties for noncompliance with safety protocols.

Everybody's heart's in the right place, but now we just got to put that into a policy and practice.

I think you will see movement once you meet the family and hear the story.

It's hard for you not to be touched by that, and it's almost impossible not to want to help.

Paul Aronsohn is the ombudsman for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families.

Aronsohn says improving safety goes beyond protective equipment.

And also it's looking at this issue of, of accountability.

And this is this is a big issue, and training and training is another huge component.

Accountability is key because what we have found in our office more we've worked with different families is that no one really is accountable.

At the end of the day.

You know, you would think you'd go to your local school district, but they're not accountable.

Maybe the state Department of Education, but they're not accountable.

You know, oftentimes we find that parents are told to call the bus company themselves, and we don't treat any other contracted service within a school that same way.

The onus should not be on the parents.

It should be on the school district.

The bill is now heading to another hearing in hopes of getting to the budget stage.

Senator Corrado hopes it will receive the necessary votes and funding to continue their efforts to prevent tragic deaths, like Matthew's friends.

Spotlight News I'm Raven Santana.