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Committee Introduces Cleanup Bill Clarifying School Transportation Reimbursements
Summary
RS 32457, sponsored by Rep. Dan Garner, would revise the school transportation formula to clarify eligible transport operations and allow reimbursement for substitute vehicles such as small passenger vans and cars. Sponsor said the change uses existing funds and is intended to simplify and expand eligible reimbursements.
Representative Dan Garner, R‑District 28, introduced RS 32457 to clean up statutory language governing school transportation budgets and reimbursements.
The RS clarifies who and what qualifies under the transportation line item, allows reimbursement when districts use alternate vehicles (for example, small vans or cars) rather than yellow school buses, and modernizes language so authorized transportation operations beyond traditional district bus fleets can receive reimbursement. Garner said the change is intended as a technical clean‑up that does not alter total funds available but clarifies allocation and eligibility.
Why it matters: Some districts have faced confusion about whether non‑bus transport and career‑technical education (CTE) travel were eligible for reimbursement. The RS would expand eligibility so districts that contract transportation or use alternate vehicles can receive reimbursement. Garner said the proposal removes obsolete or confusing formula language and noted certain hardship routes continue to receive a higher reimbursement rate.
Representative Garner said the RS would allow districts to be reimbursed for alternate forms of transport, including travel from school to a CTE program, and would clarify eligibility so smaller passenger vehicles are eligible. Representative Mathias asked the sponsor to explain the precise problem being fixed; Garner said the prior statute used a complicated range of percentage reimbursements for different modes and that the cleanup aligns reimbursement practice with current operations. Representative Clow observed that removal of an old formula portion also removes about $7.5 million that had been retained since a prior recessionary measure and asked why the reimbursement rate is 85% rather than 100%; Garner said 85% reflects historical practice and that hardship routes receive 103% reimbursement.
Representative Clow moved to introduce RS 32457; the committee approved the introduction on a voice vote and the chair said the motion carries. Garner said the change is meant to be clarifying and to reimburse districts for legitimate alternate transportation costs rather than reduce funding.
