"We are always concerned for our safety, more if we are sending our children away,” said Judith De Anda, of west El Paso. "They have the responsibility of all the people that they are taking."

A study by the Government Accountability Office found that at least 20 of about 220 commercial bus companies that had been fined and ordered out of service in the past two years evaded compliance by setting up shop under a new name.

"That's completely wrong because you jeopardize people's safety,” said David Lugo, De Anda’s son.

De Anda’s son left for a debate competition on a bus Thursday morning. Like any other mother, she worried when we told her about the report.

“That’s dangerous. I expect them to be safe,” said De Anda.

The investigation also found that more than 1,000 commercial trucking firms are currently operating under a new name by maintaining their previous owners, employees and even locations.

"And me being on this bus hopefully it's checked, hopefully it's safe, hopefully I'll be all right since these are trained professionals,” Lugo said. “These are trained people they go to classes, they have to do inspections, strict rules that the government has for them.”

They are supposed to follow guidelines, but investigators said many of the offenders have several safety violations such as operating without the proper license, to possible drug use.

The study by the GAC comes a year after an unlicensed charter bus carrying a Vietnamese-American Catholic group skidded off a Texas highway, killing 17 people. Investigators said the bus' front tire blew out; it had been recapped in violation of safety standards.