2025 -- H 5204

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LC000542

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL PUPILS BEYOND CITY

AND TOWN LIMITS

     Introduced By: Representatives Cotter, Bennett, Dawson, Casimiro, Morales,
McNamara, Kennedy, Speakman, Fogarty, and Slater

     Date Introduced: January 24, 2025

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-21.1-8 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:

     16-21.1-8. Statewide transportation system for all students.

     (a) Notwithstanding the regional structure created in this chapter, and upon implementation

of a statewide school transportation system (the "statewide system") for all students, each school

committee shall purchase the transportation services for their own resident students by accessing

this integrated statewide system of transportation on a fee-for-service basis for each child; provided,

however, that any school committee that fulfills its transportation obligations predominantly

through the use of district-owned buses or district employees may apply for a variance from the

commissioner of education, or the commissioner’s designee, thereby requesting that its

transportation obligations continue to be achieved through the use of the buses owned by the district

and staffed by district employees. In addition, should the individual school district utilize their own

buses or vendors at a lower cost than the statewide system, these costs shall be submitted to the

department of elementary and secondary education and reimbursed from state funds as in the case

with the statewide system. All fees paid for transportation services provided to students under the

statewide system shall be paid into a statewide student transportation services restricted receipt

account within the department of elementary and secondary education. Payments from the account

shall be limited to payments to the transportation service provider and transportation system

consultants. This restricted receipt account shall not be subject to the indirect cost recoveries

provisions set forth in § 35-4-27. The goals of the statewide system of transportation for all students

shall be the reduction of duplication of cost and routes in transporting children from the various

cities and towns using different buses within and between each city and town, the improvement of

services to children through the development of shorter ride times and more efficient routes of

travel, and the reduction of cost to local school committees through achieving efficiency in

eliminating the need for each school district to contract for and provide these transportation services

separately.

     (b) There shall be deducted from the final aid payment to each school district any amounts

owed to the state at the end of the fiscal year for transportation of the district’s students under the

statewide transportation system established pursuant to this section. Districts shall receive monthly

invoices summarizing the basis of the transportation fees charged. Any such deductions in aid shall

be transferred to the statewide student transportation services restricted receipt account, as set forth

in § 35-4-27.

     (c) No school committee shall negotiate, extend, or renew any public transportation service

contract unless the contract provides for payments to school bus drivers, attendants, monitors, and

aides for one hundred and eighty (180) days or the length of the contracted-for school year,

whichever is longer.

     (d) With respect to any contract entered into under this section, a school committee or local

education agency shall give a preference in contract and/or subcontract awards to the public

transportation provider that uses electric buses to the greatest extent. This preference shall be given

equal weight to any other preferences available to vendors.

     (e) With respect to any contract entered into under this section, no school committee or

local education agency (“LEA”) shall take any adverse disciplinary action against any school bus

driver, attendant, monitor, or aide covered by a collective bargaining agreement prior to any

investigation or action taken by the contracting entity as provided for in the collective bargaining

agreement. Nor shall the school committee or LEA impose discipline in excess of what is provided

for in the governing collective bargaining agreement.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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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 provide that an individual school district that utilizes its own buses or

vendors to transport students outside the district, at a lower cost than the statewide school

transportation system, could submit these costs to the department of elementary and secondary

education and receive reimbursement from state funds

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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