89R8694 AND-D     By: Johnson S.B. No. 1345       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the establishment of a public school transportation   task force.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 34, Education Code, is amended by adding   Section 34.016 to read as follows:          Sec. 34.016.  PUBLIC SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE. (a)     In this section, "task force" means the public school   transportation task force established under this section.          (b)  The public school transportation task force is   established to study and make recommendations relating to   modernizing public school transportation in this state.          (c)  The task force is composed of 20 members as follows:                (1)  one member appointed by the governor;                (2)  one member appointed by the lieutenant governor;                (3)  one member appointed by the speaker of the house of   representatives; and                (4)  17 members appointed by the commissioner as   follows:                      (A)  three parents of students enrolled in a   school district who use the district's school transportation   system, or would use that transportation system if it were   available, at least one of whom must be a parent of a student   enrolled at a campus that receives supplemental funding under Part   A, Title 1, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20   U.S.C. Section 6311 et seq.) and:                            (i)  one of whom resides in a rural school   district;                             (ii)  one of whom resides in a suburban   school district; and                             (iii)  one of whom resides in an urban school   district;                      (B)  three school district transportation   directors, one of whom is from a rural school district, one of whom   is from a suburban school district, and one of whom is from an urban   school district;                      (C)  two directors of a school district's special   education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, at least one of   whom is from a rural school district;                      (D)  two members who represent open-enrollment   charter schools, one of whom is from a school that offers a school   transportation system and one of whom is from a school that does not   offer a school transportation system;                      (E)  one member who represents a private   prekindergarten provider that partners with a school district under   Section 29.153(g);                      (F)  one member from an association that   represents school bus drivers or school transportation staff;                      (G)  one member who represents an off-campus   after-school program;                      (H)  two members who represent public   transportation providers; and                      (I)  two members who are chief financial officers   of a school district, one of whom is from a rural district and one of   whom is from an urban district.          (d)  The task force shall hold its first meeting not later   than October 1, 2025, and shall elect a presiding officer from among   its membership.  After the initial meeting, the task force shall   meet at the times and places that the presiding officer determines   appropriate.          (e)  Members of the task force serve without compensation but   are entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses   incurred in performing official duties under this section.          (f)  The agency shall provide information, assistance, and   administrative support to the task force. To the extent feasible,   the agency, in cooperation with school districts and   open-enrollment charter schools, shall provide the task force with   information relating to:                (1)  criteria used by districts and schools to   determine student eligibility for school-provided transportation   and whether the criteria create barriers for a student to attend the   student's school of choice;                (2)  school transportation system utilization patterns   and operations, including:                      (A)  the number of students eligible for   school-provided transportation who use the school transportation   system;                      (B)  whether routes are at capacity; and                      (C)  methodologies used by districts and schools   to identify utilization patterns and adjust transportation   operations accordingly;                (3)  school transportation system staffing, including:                      (A)  the number of drivers required to cover   routes;                      (B)  driver pay rates and hours of operation;                      (C)  driver vacancies; and                      (D)  contracts with public transportation   providers or third-party transportation providers to satisfy   school transportation needs;                (4)  school transportation system fleet   diversification, including:                      (A)  the types of vehicles used to satisfy school   transportation needs;                      (B)  the associated costs of vehicles described by   Paragraph (A), including purchasing, fuel, and maintenance costs;                      (C)  resale or salvage values of vehicles   described by Paragraph (A); and                      (D)  the costs of a potential transition to   electric vehicles; and                (5)  discrepancies between the number of students   eligible for school-provided transportation and the number of   students who use that transportation and the causes of the   discrepancies.          (g)  The task force shall study:                (1)  transportation challenges that create barriers   for a student to attend the school district or open-enrollment   charter school of the student's choice;                (2)  improvements to the method of providing funding   for school transportation systems under Section 48.151;                (3)  existing and potential funding sources for school   transportation systems;                (4)  potential partnerships among school districts,   open-enrollment charter schools, public and private transportation   providers, and local nonprofit organizations to meet school   transportation needs and create cost efficiencies while   maintaining safety standards;                (5)  career pathways in school transportation and   logistics; and                 (6)  competitive salaries and benefits packages   necessary to recruit and retain school transportation drivers.          (h)  Not later than December 1, 2026, the task force shall   submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the   house of representatives, and each legislative committee with   primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education a report   on the task force's findings and any recommendations for   legislative or other action.          (i)  The task force is abolished and this section expires   September 1, 2027.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2025.