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• 2016 General Session
• H.B. 301

H.B. 301 School Bus Route Grant Program

• Bill Text
• Status
• Hearings/Debate

Bill Sponsor: Rep. Stanard, Jon E.

Floor Sponsor: Sen. Adams, J. Stuart

• Substitute Sponsor: Rep. Stanard, Jon E.

• Drafting Attorney: Rebekah M. Bradway
• Fiscal Analyst: Jill L.Curry

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• Bill Text
  • Introduced
  • Amended
    • Amended Pages Only
  • Enrolled (Currently Displayed)

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• Other Versions
  • H.B. 301
    Substitute Sponsor:
    

    • Introduced
    • Amended
      • Amended Pages Only
    • Fiscal Note
    • House Transmittal Letter 1
    • House Transmittal Letter 2
    • Senate Transmittal Letter 1
    • Senate Transmittal Letter 2
    • House Committee Amendment 1
    • Agency Perf Note

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• Related Documents
  • Fiscal Note
  • Senate Floor Amendment 1(passed)
  • HB0301 comparison
  • Agency Perf Note

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• Information
  • Last Action: 23 Mar 2016, Governor Signed
  • Last Location: Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
  • Effective Date: 10 May 2016
  • Session Law Chapter: 214

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• Similar Bills
  • Education
  • Public Education

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Enrolled

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H.B. 301

1     SCHOOL BUS ROUTE GRANT PROGRAM
2     2016 GENERAL SESSION
3     STATE OF UTAH
4     Chief Sponsor: Jon E. Stanard
5     Senate Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams
6     

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7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill creates a grant program to fund certain school bus routes.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     defines terms;
13          ▸     creates a grant program to provide transportation funding for routes that are unsafe
14     for a student to walk; and
15          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
16     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17          This bill appropriates:
18          ▸     to the State Board of Education -- Minimum School Program -- To and From
19               School -- Pupil Transportation, as an ongoing appropriation:
20               •     from the Education Fund, $500,000.
21     Other Special Clauses:
22          None
23     Utah Code Sections Affected:
24     AMENDS:
25          53A-17a-126, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 398
26     ENACTS:
27          53A-17a-126.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
28     

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29     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:

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30          Section 1. Section 53A-17a-126 is amended to read:
31          53A-17a-126. State support of pupil transportation.
32          (1) Money appropriated to the State Board of Education for state-supported
33     transportation of public school students shall be apportioned and distributed in accordance with
34     Section 53A-17a-127, except as otherwise provided in this section or Section 53A-17a-126.5.
35          (2) (a) The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind shall use its allocation of pupil
36     transportation money to pay for transportation of their students based on current valid
37     contractual arrangements and best transportation options and methods as determined by the
38     schools.
39          (b) All student transportation costs of the schools shall be paid from the allocation of
40     pupil transportation money specified in statute.
41          (3) (a) A school district may only claim eligible transportation costs as legally reported
42     on the prior year's annual financial report submitted under Section 53A-3-404.
43          (b) The state shall contribute 85% of approved transportation costs, subject to budget
44     constraints.
45          (c) If in a fiscal year the total transportation allowance for all districts exceeds the
46     amount appropriated for that purpose, all allowances shall be reduced pro rata to equal not
47     more than the amount appropriated.
48          Section 2. Section 53A-17a-126.5 is enacted to read:
49          53A-17a-126.5. Grants for unsafe routes.
50          (1) As used in this section:
51          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
52          (b) "Transportation Advisory Committee" means the review committee for addressing
53     school transportation needs described in Subsection 53A-17a-127(5).
54          (c) "Unsafe route" means a route between a student's residence and school that is:
55          (i) shorter than a distance described in:
56          (A) Subsection 53A-17a-127(1)(a) for a student enrolled in kindergarten through grade
57     6; or

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58          (B) Subsection 53A-17a-127(1)(b) for a student enrolled in grades 7 through 12; and
59          (ii) due to a health or safety concern, dangerous for a student to walk.
60          (2) Subject to legislative appropriations for grants for unsafe routes provided under this
61     section, the board shall:
62          (a) solicit proposals from school districts to receive a grant; and
63          (b) award grants to school districts.
64          (3) To receive a grant under this section, a school district shall submit a proposal to the
65     board that:
66          (a) describes an unsafe route for which the school district intends to receive a grant;
67          (b) includes a written statement from the following describing why the route is unsafe:
68          (i) the school district;
69          (ii) local law enforcement; and
70          (iii) the municipality or county in which the described route is located; and
71          (c) includes other information as required by the board.
72          (4) (a) The Transportation Advisory Committee shall:
73          (i) evaluate a proposal submitted to the board under Subsection (3); and
74          (ii) make recommendations to the board regarding whether to fund the proposal.
75          (b) The board shall consider the recommendations of the Transportation Advisory
76     Committee before awarding a grant described in Subsection (2)(b).
77          (5) In awarding a grant under this section, the board may not:
78          (a) contribute an amount exceeding 85% of the cost of an unsafe route funded by the
79     grant; or
80          (b) award more than 15% of the appropriation under this section to a particular school
81     district.
82          (6) The Transportation Advisory Committee shall:
83          (a) review each year an unsafe route funded by a grant; and
84          (b) make a recommendation to the board regarding whether the board, subject to
85     legislative appropriations, should renew the grant.

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86          (7) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
87     board shall make rules to implement the grant program described in this section.
88          Section 3. Appropriation.
89          Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
90     the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016, and ending June 30, 2017, the following sums of money
91     are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
92     previously appropriated, out of the funds or amounts indicated. These sums of money are in
93     addition to amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2017.
94          To State Board of Education -- Minimum School Program -- To and From
95           School -- Pupil Transportation
96               From Education Fund

$500,000

97               Schedule of Programs:
98                    Grants for Unsafe Routes               $500,000
99          The Legislature intends that:
100          (1) the State Board of Education use the appropriation under this section to offer grants
101     for unsafe routes described in Section 53A-17a-126.5; and
102          (2) the appropriations provided in this section be:
103          (a) ongoing; and
104          (b) nonlapsing.