BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2661

By: Blanco

Environmental Regulation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised that prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust fumes from idling school buses place students at risk for chronic and developmental respiratory disorders. C.S.H.B. 2661 seeks to reduce schoolchildren's exposure to harmful exhaust fumes and simultaneously reduce districts' fuel costs by requiring school districts to adopt school bus idling policies to minimize the idling of school buses on school property.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2661 amends the Education Code to require the board of trustees of each public school district to adopt a policy that minimizes the amount of time that drivers of buses operated or contracted for operation by the district spend idling the bus engine. The bill sets out the required components of such a policy and authorizes a district to take certain specified actions to maximize the policy's effectiveness. The bill applies beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2661 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.