(1) The general assembly finds that: (a) Disproportionately impacted communities are disproportionately affected by particulate matter and nitrogen oxides arising from fossil-fuel-powered school buses, especially because the fleet yards, warehouses, fuel depots, and interstates used in conjunction with school buses are often located in disproportionately impacted communities;(b) In addition to exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in their communities, school children are also exposed to fine particulates and other pollutants as a result of riding on fossil-fuel-powered school buses;(c) A transition from fossil-fuel-powered school buses to electric-powered school buses will positively affect school children's health, while helping to address long-standing pollution inequities faced by disproportionately impacted communities;(d) The federal 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act', Pub.L. 117-58, has created a competitive funding program to support the adoption of an electric school bus fleet, and a state program investing in electric school buses will help leverage the federal funds made available through the federal act to allow schools in the state to access the ectric school bus fleet, and a state program investing in electric school buses will help leverage the federal funds made available through the federal act to allow schools in the state to access the federal funds; and(e) A transition to electric school buses can provide benefits to the operation of the electric grid in the state:(I) If the timing of charging electric school buses is managed to support grid operations; and(II) Through the potential for using batteries on electric school buses:(A) As a source of renewable energy through vehicle-to-grid operations; and(B) As a community resilience resource to help communities affected by power outages or disasters causing electric grid interruptions.(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that:(a) The state should help school districts procure and maintain electric-powered school buses and related infrastructure, convert fossil-fuel-powered school buses to electric-powered school buses, and facilitate the associated retirement of fossil-fuel-powered school buses; and(b) School districts can leverage state grant money to obtain money from federal and private sources to further finance the transition to an electric-powered t of fossil-fuel-powered school buses; and(b) School districts can leverage state grant money to obtain money from federal and private sources to further finance the transition to an electric-powered school bus fleet.Added by 2022 Ch. 300, § 3, eff. 6/2/2022.
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