2024 -- S 2040

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LC004180

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL PUPILS BEYOND CITY

AND TOWN LIMITS

     Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, Lauria, and Felag

     Date Introduced: January 12, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-21.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21.1 entitled

"Transportation of School Pupils Beyond City and Town Limits [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The

Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-21.1-2. School bus districts established.

     (a) There are hereby established school bus districts within the state to provide bus

transportation in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare for pupils in grades kindergarten

through twelve (12), or in special education programs, who attend public schools, including

vocational schools and special education programs provided in accord with regulations of the board

of regents for elementary and secondary education, consolidated schools, regional schools

established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., or who participate in cooperative programs as

provided by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., and nonpublic nonprofit schools which are consolidated,

regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state which

schools satisfy the requirements of law for any of the grades of school, kindergarten through twelve

(12), as follows:

     (1) Region I: The towns of Burrillville, North Smithfield, and Cumberland, and the city of

Woonsocket;

     (2) Region II: The county of Kent, except the town of West Greenwich and the towns of

Foster, Glocester, and Scituate;

     (3) Region III: The towns of Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence, Barrington,

Warren, and Bristol, and the cities of Cranston, Central Falls, East Providence, Pawtucket, and

Providence;

     (4) Region IV: The county of Washington and the towns of Jamestown and West

Greenwich;

     (5) Region V: The towns of Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Warren, and Bristol,

and Tiverton, and the city of Newport.

     (b) A pupil attending a school, including a public school, vocational school, special

education program provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and

secondary education, a regional school established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., as

authorized by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., or a nonpublic nonprofit school for grades kindergarten through

twelve (12), consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific

area within the state for any of the grades of schools, kindergarten through twelve (12), in the

interest of public safety, health, and welfare, shall be provided with bus transportation to the school

or facility which the pupil attends, within the region in which the pupil resides, by the school

committee of the city or town within which the pupil resides. The cost of transporting a pupil

attending a charter school, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School

(“Davies”), or the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (“the Met Center”) within

the established region shall be charged to the receiving school at the same grade level transportation

per pupil cost of the resident district. Districts may offer transportation to charter schools, Davies,

or the Met Center outside the established region in order to facilitate efficiency provided there is

not additional cost to the resident district.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.

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LC004180

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL PUPILS BEYOND CITY

AND TOWN LIMITS

***

     This act would remove the towns of Warren and Bristol from school bus district Region III

and place Warren and Bristol in school bus district Region V.

     This act would take effect on July 1, 2024.

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LC004180

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