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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a public school transportation |
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task force. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 34.016 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 34.016. PUBLIC SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE. (a) |
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In this section, "task force" means the public school |
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transportation task force established under this section. |
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(b) The public school transportation task force is |
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established to study and make recommendations relating to |
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modernizing public school transportation in this state. |
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(c) The task force is composed of 20 members as follows: |
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(1) one member appointed by the governor; |
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(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of |
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representatives; and |
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(4) 17 members appointed by the commissioner as |
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follows: |
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(A) three parents of students enrolled in a |
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school district who use the district's school transportation |
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system, or would use that transportation system if it were |
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available, at least one of whom must be a parent of a student |
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enrolled at a campus that receives supplemental funding under Part |
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A, Title 1, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 |
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U.S.C. Section 6311 et seq.) and: |
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(i) one of whom resides in a rural school |
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district; |
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(ii) one of whom resides in a suburban |
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school district; and |
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(iii) one of whom resides in an urban school |
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district; |
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(B) three school district transportation |
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directors, one of whom is from a rural school district, one of whom |
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is from a suburban school district, and one of whom is from an urban |
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school district; |
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(C) two directors of a school district's special |
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education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, at least one of |
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whom is from a rural school district; |
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(D) two members who represent open-enrollment |
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charter schools, one of whom is from a school that offers a school |
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transportation system and one of whom is from a school that does not |
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offer a school transportation system; |
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(E) one member who represents a private |
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prekindergarten provider that partners with a school district under |
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Section 29.153(g); |
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(F) one member from an association that |
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represents school bus drivers or school transportation staff; |
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(G) one member who represents an off-campus |
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after-school program; |
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(H) two members who represent public |
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transportation providers; and |
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(I) two members who are chief financial officers |
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of a school district, one of whom is from a rural district and one of |
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whom is from an urban district. |
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(d) The task force shall hold its first meeting not later |
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than October 1, 2025, and shall elect a presiding officer from among |
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its membership. After the initial meeting, the task force shall |
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meet at the times and places that the presiding officer determines |
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appropriate. |
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(e) Members of the task force serve without compensation but |
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are entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses |
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incurred in performing official duties under this section. |
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(f) The agency shall provide information, assistance, and |
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administrative support to the task force. To the extent feasible, |
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the agency, in cooperation with school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools, shall provide the task force with |
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information relating to: |
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(1) criteria used by districts and schools to |
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determine student eligibility for school-provided transportation |
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and whether the criteria create barriers for a student to attend the |
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student's school of choice; |
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(2) school transportation system utilization patterns |
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and operations, including: |
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(A) the number of students eligible for |
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school-provided transportation who use the school transportation |
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system; |
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(B) whether routes are at capacity; and |
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(C) methodologies used by districts and schools |
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to identify utilization patterns and adjust transportation |
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operations accordingly; |
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(3) school transportation system staffing, including: |
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(A) the number of drivers required to cover |
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routes; |
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(B) driver pay rates and hours of operation; |
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(C) driver vacancies; and |
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(D) contracts with public transportation |
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providers or third-party transportation providers to satisfy |
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school transportation needs; |
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(4) school transportation system fleet |
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diversification, including: |
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(A) the types of vehicles used to satisfy school |
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transportation needs; |
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(B) the associated costs of vehicles described by |
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Paragraph (A), including purchasing, fuel, and maintenance costs; |
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(C) resale or salvage values of vehicles |
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described by Paragraph (A); and |
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(D) the costs of a potential transition to |
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electric vehicles; and |
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(5) discrepancies between the number of students |
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eligible for school-provided transportation and the number of |
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students who use that transportation and the causes of the |
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discrepancies. |
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(g) The task force shall study: |
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(1) transportation challenges that create barriers |
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for a student to attend the school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school of the student's choice; |
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(2) improvements to the method of providing funding |
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for school transportation systems under Section 48.151; |
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(3) existing and potential funding sources for school |
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transportation systems; |
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(4) potential partnerships among school districts, |
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open-enrollment charter schools, public and private transportation |
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providers, and local nonprofit organizations to meet school |
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transportation needs and create cost efficiencies while |
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maintaining safety standards; |
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(5) career pathways in school transportation and |
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logistics; and |
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(6) competitive salaries and benefits packages |
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necessary to recruit and retain school transportation drivers. |
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(h) Not later than December 1, 2026, the task force shall |
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submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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house of representatives, and each legislative committee with |
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primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report |
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on the task force's findings and any recommendations for |
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legislative or other action. |
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(i) The task force is abolished and this section expires |
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September 1, 2027. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |