LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 30, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Clyde Alexander, Chair, House Committee on
               Transportation
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2043  by Williams (Relating to safety standards for
               buses used to transport students.), Committee Report 1st
               House, Substituted
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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This bill would require that any bus used to transport public school
students to and from school and for school-related (nonacademic)
activities must comply with applicable state school bus specifications
as adopted under Transportation Code  547.7015.  School districts have
until September 1, 2006 to bring currently used buses into compliance
Buses acquired or under contract after September 1, 2001 must be in
compliance.  The bill is effective September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
For many school districts, there would be no actions specifically
required.  Those districts owning affected vehicles would have five years
in which to dispose of or replace the vehicles that do not comply with
federal safety standards.

School districts would incur some costs, estimated at $28 million over
five years, for the replacement of motor buses that do not comply with
school bus safety standards.

The scenario described assumes that districts would choose to replace
motor buses.  It is possible that districts could opt to utilize their
existing fleets of school buses; in such a case, disposal of motor buses
would then represent an exchange for cash only, and not a net expense to
the districts.
  
  
Source Agencies:   303   General Services Commission, 701   Texas
                   Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, PF, UP