Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 301 First Substitute (2016GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Stanard, J.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/23/2016

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• creates a grant program to provide transportation funding for routes that are unsafe for a student to walk; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

SCHOOL BUS ROUTE GRANT PROGRAM
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jon E. Stanard
Senate Sponsor: 
J. Stuart Adams
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill creates a grant program to fund certain school bus routes.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ creates a grant program to provide transportation funding for routes that are unsafe
for a student to walk; and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates:
▸ to the State Board of Education -- Minimum School Program -- To and From
School -- Pupil Transportation, as an ongoing appropriation:
• from the Education Fund, $500,000.
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53A-17a-126
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 398
ENACTS:
53A-17a-126.5
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53A-17a-126
 is amended to read:
53A-17a-126.
State support of pupil transportation.
(1) Money appropriated to the State Board of Education for state-supported
transportation of public school students shall be apportioned and distributed in accordance with
Section 
53A-17a-127
, except as otherwise provided in this section 
or Section 
53A-17a-126.5
.
(2) (a) The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind shall use its allocation of pupil
transportation money to pay for transportation of their students based on current valid
contractual arrangements and best transportation options and methods as determined by the
schools.
(b) All student transportation costs of the schools shall be paid from the allocation of
pupil transportation money specified in statute.
(3) (a) A school district may only claim eligible transportation costs as legally reported
on the prior year's annual financial report submitted under Section 
53A-3-404
.
(b) The state shall contribute 85% of approved transportation costs, subject to budget
constraints.
(c) If in a fiscal year the total transportation allowance for all districts exceeds the
amount appropriated for that purpose, all allowances shall be reduced pro rata to equal not
more than the amount appropriated.
Section 2. Section 
53A-17a-126.5
 is enacted to read:
 53A-17a-126.5.
Grants for unsafe routes.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
(b) "Transportation Advisory Committee" means the review committee for addressing
school transportation needs described in Subsection 
53A-17a-127
(5).
(c) "Unsafe route" means a route between a student's residence and school that is:
(i) shorter than a distance described in:
(A) Subsection 
53A-17a-127
(1)(a) for a student enrolled in kindergarten through grade
6; or
(B) Subsection 
53A-17a-127
(1)(b) for a student enrolled in grades 7 through 12; and
(ii) due to a health or safety concern, dangerous for a student to walk.
(2) Subject to legislative appropriations for grants for unsafe routes provided under this
section, the board shall:
(a) solicit proposals from school districts to receive a grant; and
(b) award grants to school districts.
(3) To receive a grant under this section, a school district shall submit a proposal to the
board that:
(a) describes an unsafe route for which the school district intends to receive a grant;
(b) includes a written statement from the following describing why the route is unsafe:
(i) the school district;
(ii) local law enforcement; and
(iii) the municipality or county in which the described route is located; and
(c) includes other information as required by the board.
(4) (a) The Transportation Advisory Committee shall:
(i) evaluate a proposal submitted to the board under Subsection (3); and
(ii) make recommendations to the board regarding whether to fund the proposal.
(b) The board shall consider the recommendations of the Transportation Advisory
Committee before awarding a grant described in Subsection (2)(b).
(5) In awarding a grant under this section, the board may not:
(a) contribute an amount exceeding 85% of the cost of an unsafe route funded by the
grant; or
(b) award more than 15% of the appropriation under this section to a particular school
district.
(6) The Transportation Advisory Committee shall:
(a) review each year an unsafe route funded by a grant; and
(b) make a recommendation to the board regarding whether the board, subject to
legislative appropriations, should renew the grant.
(7) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
board shall make rules to implement the grant program described in this section.
Section 3. 
Appropriation.
Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016, and ending June 30, 2017, the following sums of money
are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
previously appropriated, out of the funds or amounts indicated. These sums of money are in
addition to amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2017.
To State Board of Education -- Minimum School Program -- To and From
School -- Pupil Transportation
From Education Fund
$500,000
Schedule of Programs:
Grants for Unsafe Routes $500,000
The Legislature intends that:
(1) the State Board of Education use the appropriation under this section to offer grants
for unsafe routes described in Section 
53A-17a-126.5
; and
(2) the appropriations provided in this section be:
(a) ongoing; and
(b) nonlapsing.