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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
school buses; electrification; contracts
Purpose
Allows a school district to select preapproved carriers or private parties to provide electric school buses and related infrastructure and services. Requires, beginning in the 2022 calendar year, the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) Public School Transportation Modernization Grants Program (Transportation Modernization Program) to fund proposals demonstrating innovations in electrified school transportation.
Background
The School Bus Advisory Council (Council) must advise the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in developing rules relating to school bus safety, school bus driver certification and school bus driver training. A school district may contract for transportation with another political subdivision, a common or contract carrier or a private party if contracting is economically advantageous as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, operating a transportation program. Each school district must electronically submit specified transportation contracts information to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) (A.R.S. §§ 15-922 and 28-3053).
ADOA must select an organization to administer the Transportation Modernization Program according to prescribed criteria. The Program Administrator must distribute grants to school districts, charter schools or other eligible entities based on demand and the most innovative solutions. The Program Administrator must award at least 25 percent of the Transportation Modernization Program grants to rural and remote proposals and may retain up to 5 percent of monies appropriated each fiscal year to administer the Transportation Modernization Program (Laws 2021, Ch. 404).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a school district to select a Council-preapproved contract carrier or private party that provides:
a) electric school buses;
b) electric school bus charging infrastructure;
c) charging and charging management services; or
d) electric school bus services.
2. Directs, beginning in the 2022 calendar year, the Program Administrator to ensure the funding of proposals demonstrating innovations in electrified school transportation, with funding used to purchase:
a) electric school buses;
b) electric school bus charging infrastructure;
c) charging and charging management services;
d) electric bus services; or
e) any combination of those items or services.
3. Adds, to the Council's responsibilities, preapproving contract carriers and private parties that provide electric school buses, infrastructure and services as outlined.
4. Requires the Council to:
a) finalize a process for soliciting preapprovals within six months after the general effective date; and
b) finalize an initial list of preapproved contract carriers and private parties within one year after the general effective date.
5. Specifies that a school district's electronic submission to ADE of information relating to transportation contracts must be in the form of a report.
6. Contains a statement of legislative findings.
7. Makes technical and conforming changes.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 4, 2022
LB/MS/slp