H 7682Public Transit

Education - Transportation of School Pupils Beyond City and Town Limits

This bill incentivizes electric school buses, allows reimbursement for lower-cost local busing, and protects drivers from unfair disciplinary actions.

Held for study

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Affected

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Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Finance

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the laws governing the transportation of school pupils in Rhode Island. It allows school districts that can provide transportation at a lower cost than the statewide system—either through district-owned buses or private vendors—to be reimbursed by the state. The bill mandates that school committees give contract preference to transportation providers that utilize electric buses. Furthermore, it prohibits school committees from disciplining unionized bus drivers or aides before their contracting employer investigates the issue, and prevents them from imposing discipline harsher than what is specified in the worker's collective bargaining agreement.

For younger readers

This bill creates new rules for the buses that take kids to school. First, it tells the people running the schools that they should try to pick bus companies that use electric buses instead of gas ones, because they are cleaner for the air. Second, it protects bus drivers so they can't get in trouble or be punished by the school until the bus company looks into what happened properly. Finally, if a school district can find a cheaper way to bus students than the state's main plan, the state will help pay them back for the costs.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

School CommitteesSchool Bus Drivers and MonitorsTransportation VendorsStudentsTaxpayers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Promotes environmental justice and public health by mandating a preference for electric buses, which reduces carbon emissions and diesel pollution around children.
Strengthens labor rights by preventing school committees from circumventing collective bargaining agreements regarding the discipline of bus drivers and monitors.
Encourages the efficient use of public funds by allowing reimbursements for districts that can provide transportation services at a lower cost than the statewide system.
The language regarding electric buses is a "preference" rather than a strict mandate, which may allow districts to continue using fossil fuel vehicles if they claim electric options are unavailable or inconvenient.
By allowing districts to opt out of the statewide system for lower-cost private vendors, it could potentially fragment the transportation network and undermine the bargaining power of a unified statewide public service.
The focus on cost reduction for determining reimbursements might incentivize districts to choose the cheapest vendors, potentially at the expense of worker wages or service quality in the long run.

For Conservatives

Promotes fiscal responsibility and market competition by allowing school districts to use private vendors or their own fleets if they are cheaper than the government-run statewide system.
Increases local control by granting school committees the flexibility to manage their own transportation logistics and receive state reimbursement for doing so efficiently.
Reduces the state government's monopoly on student transportation by creating a pathway for districts to seek more cost-effective alternatives.
Imposes government interference in the free market by mandating a preference for electric buses, which may be more expensive or less reliable than traditional options.
Undermines the authority of school committees to manage safety and discipline by preventing them from taking direct action against contracted bus drivers without union/vendor procedural delays.
Strengthens the power of labor unions by enshrining collective bargaining protections into state statute regarding disciplinary procedures for contracted workers.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 6 additions

SECTION 1. Section 16-21.1-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21.1 entitled "Transportation of School Pupils Beyond City and Town Limits [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 16-21.1-8. Statewide transportation system for all students.

(a) Notwithstanding the regional structure created in this chapter, and upon implementation of a statewide school transportation system (the "statewide system") for all students, each school committee shall purchase the transportation services for their own resident students by accessing this integrated statewide system of transportation on a fee-for-service basis for each child; provided, however, that any school committee that fulfills its transportation obligations predominantly through the use of district-owned buses or district employees may apply for a variance from the commissioner of education, or the commissioner’s designee, thereby requesting that its transportation obligations continue to be achieved through the use of the buses owned by the district and staffed by district employees. In addition, should the individual school district utilize their own buses or vendors at a lower cost than the statewide system, these costs shall be submitted to the department of elementary and secondary education and reimbursed from state funds as in the case with the statewide system. All fees paid for transportation services provided to students under the statewide system shall be paid into a statewide student transportation services restricted receipt account within the department of elementary and secondary education. Payments from the account shall be limited to payments to the transportation service provider and transportation system consultants. This restricted receipt account shall not be subject to the indirect cost recoveries provisions set forth in § 35-4-27. The goals of the statewide system of transportation for all students shall be the reduction of duplication of cost and routes in transporting children from the various cities and towns using different buses within and between each city and town, the improvement of services to children through the development of shorter ride times and more efficient routes of travel, and the reduction of cost to local school committees through achieving efficiency in eliminating the need for each school district to contract for and provide these transportation services separately.

(b) There shall be deducted from the final aid payment to each school district any amounts owed to the state at the end of the fiscal year for transportation of the district’s students under the statewide transportation system established pursuant to this section. Districts shall receive monthly invoices summarizing the basis of the transportation fees charged. Any such deductions in aid shall be transferred to the statewide student transportation services restricted receipt account, as set forth in § 35-4-27.

(c) No school committee shall negotiate, extend, or renew any public transportation service contract unless the contract provides for payments to school bus drivers, attendants, monitors, and aides for one hundred and eighty (180) days or the length of the contracted-for school year, whichever is longer.

(d) With respect to any contract entered into under this section, a school committee or local education agency shall give a preference in contract and/or subcontract awards to the public transportation provider that uses electric buses to the greatest extent. This preference shall be given equal weight to any other preferences available to vendors.

(e) With respect to any contract entered into under this section, no school committee or local education agency (“LEA”) shall take any adverse disciplinary action against any school bus driver, attendant, monitor, or aide covered by a collective bargaining agreement prior to any investigation or action taken by the contracting entity as provided for in the collective bargaining agreement. Nor shall the school committee or LEA impose discipline in excess of what is provided for in the governing collective bargaining agreement.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.