Bill Analysis - House Bill 256, Smart School Bus Safety Pilot, PCS H256-CSRQa-7 (April 20, 2021)

Summary

Bill analysis of the proposed committee substitute (PCS) to the First Edition of House Bill 256, Smart School Bus Safety Pilot, for the House Education - K-12 committee of the 2021-2022 General Assembly, dated April 20, 2021 and prepared by Drupti Chauhan, Committee Counsel. It states that the bill would establish the Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Program in certain local school administrative units (LEAs), and that the PCS would authorize several more LEAs and increase the appropriations. It states that the PCS appropriates $13,750,000 from the General Fund in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, and that the PCS becomes effective July 1, 2021.

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Full text

                                                     HOUSE BILL 256:
                                                     Smart Sch. Bus Safety Pilot/Certain Counties.
      2021-2022 General Assembly
     Committee:     House Education - K-12. If favorable, re-refer Date:        April 20, 2021
                    to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the
                    House
     Introduced by: Reps. Strickland, Bell, Lambeth, D. Hall       Prepared by: Drupti Chauhan
     Analysis of:   PCS to First Edition                                        Committee Counsel
                    H256-CSRQa-7

     OVERVIEW: House Bill 256 would establish the Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Program (Program)
     in certain local school administrative units (LEAs).
     The Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) would authorize several more LEAs to participate in the
     Program and increase the appropriations to all of the participating LEAs. It would also clarify that the
     Program is not subject to the statutory requirement that the State Board of Education must assist local
     boards of education with questions that arise in connection with the organization and operation of
     school bus transportation systems of the LEAs.
     CURRENT LAW: S.L. 2020-97 created a Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Program for Mount Airy City
     Schools.
     BILL ANALYSIS: The PCS for House Bill 256 directs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to
     establish the Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Program (Program) beginning with the 2021-2022 school year
     and ending on or before January 1, 2025 to modernize the transportation of public school students through
     technology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
     Participation – As a part of the Program, participating local school administrative units (LEAs) must
     identify and contract with qualifying vendors to provide technology and services for student
     transportation. The PCS specifically exempts the Program from the requirements of G.S. 115C-240(d)
     which require the SBE to assist local boards of education with the acquisition and maintenance of school
     buses or other questions that arise in connection with the organization and operation of school bus
     transportation systems in the LEAs.
     The PCS sets forth 21 local school administrative units (LEAs) that authorized to participate in the
     Program but an authorized LEA may choose not to participate. For each LEA that chooses not to
     participate, DPI may authorize one replacement LEA with a similar population of students to participate.
     Technology and Services – Participating LEAs have discretion over the specific technology and services
     they are provided if certain minimum requirements are met including but not limited to:
            •     Enabling employee time tracking, student ridership tracking, and contact tracing in the event of a
                  COVID 19 infection.
            •     Enabling global positioning system (GPS) tracking of school buses and enabling turn by turn
                  navigation along bus routes.
            •     Providing pre- and post-trip vehicle inspections that may be transmitted to DPI on a regular basis.
                                                                                                                                                             Legislative Analysis
     Jeffrey Hudson
                                                                                                                                                                   Division
         Director                                  H256-SMRQ-22(CSRQa-7)-v-4                                                                                   919-733-2578
This bill analysis was prepared by the nonpartisan legislative staff for the use of legislators in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
House PCS 256
Page 2

   •     Communicating ridership information to the student information management system and
         allowing parents or legal guardians to access applicable information.
   •     Conforming to applicable guidance provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and
         Human Services for the transportation of students during the COVID 19 pandemic.
   •     Facilitating the receipt of Medicaid reimbursement for eligible student transportation services.
Requirements and Contingencies – The following apply to all participating LEAs:
   •     Every school bus designed for the transportation of children with disabilities must be outfitted with
         technology provided pursuant to the Program as long as the technology is appropriate for children
         with disabilities and can be provided in a cost effective manner.
   •     At the conclusion of the Program, all hardware provided to an LEA must become the property of
         the unit.
   •     LEAs must make use of technology or services provided pursuant to the Program at least through
         the conclusion of the 2023 2024 school year.
Reports – By July 1, 2022 and annually until the end of the Program, DPI, in consultation with each
participating LEA, must report, at a minimum, on the following information to the Joint Legislative
Education Oversight Committee, any committee constituted by the House of Representatives or Senate to
address school safety, and the Fiscal Research Division:
   •     An itemized breakdown of software infrastructure, hardware infrastructure, and equipment
         provided by qualifying vendors to the LEAs.
   •     A description of all services provided by qualifying vendors to the LEAs.
   •     A list of qualifying vendors contracting with the LEAs.
   •     The impact and effectiveness of the Program.
   •     All expenditures of State funds pursuant to the Program.
Appropriations – The PCS appropriates $13,750,000 from the General Fund in nonrecurring funds for the
2021-2022 fiscal year to establish the Program, and also sets forth the specific amounts that each LEA
would receive for the Program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: The PCS becomes effective July 1, 2021.


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