2019 -- H 5602

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Tanzi, Fogarty, McEntee, Cortvriend, and Donovan

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2019

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-21-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21 entitled "Health and

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Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-21-1. Transportation of public and private school pupils.

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     (a) The school committee of any town or city shall provide suitable transportation, that

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may include, but is not limited to, pupil transportation vehicles as defined in § 31-22.1-1, to and

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from school for pupils attending public and private schools of elementary and high school grades,

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except private schools that are operated for profit, who reside so far from the public or private

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school that the pupil attends as to make the pupil's regular attendance at school impractical and

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for any pupil whose regular attendance would otherwise be impracticable on account of physical

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disability or infirmity. Provided, effective July 1, 2019, the costs to the school committees for

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providing the transportation services required by this section shall be reimbursed to the

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appropriate school committees by the state.

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     (1) The school committee of any town or city using a pupil transportation vehicle as

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defined in § 31-22.1-1 shall comply with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section,

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notwithstanding the provisions of § 31-22.1-3(6).

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     (b) For transportation provided to children enrolled in grades kindergarten through five

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(5), school bus monitors, other than the school bus driver, shall be required on all school-bound

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and home-bound routes. Variances to the requirement for a school bus monitor may be granted by

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the commissioner of elementary and secondary education if he or she finds that an alternative

 

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plan provides substantially equivalent safety for children. For the purposes of this section a

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"school bus monitor" means any person sixteen (16) years of age or older.

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     (c) No school committee shall negotiate, extend, or renew any transportation contract

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unless such contract enables the district to participate in the statewide transportation system,

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without penalty to the district, upon implementation of the statewide transportation system

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described in §§ 16-21.1-7 [repealed] and 16-21.1-8. Notice of the implementation of the statewide

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transportation system for in-district transportation shall be provided in writing by the department

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of elementary and secondary education to the superintendent of each district upon

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implementation. Upon implementation of the statewide system of transportation for all students,

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each school committee shall purchase transportation services for its own resident students by

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accessing the statewide system on a fee-for-service basis for each student; provided, however,

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that any school committee that fulfills its transportation obligations primarily through the use of

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district-owned buses or district employees may continue to do so. Variances to the requirement

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for the purchase of transportation services through the statewide transportation system for non-

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public and non-shared routes may be granted by the commissioner of elementary and secondary

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education if the commissioner finds that an alternative system is more cost effective. All fees paid

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for transportation services provided to students under the statewide system shall be paid into a

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statewide student transportation services restricted receipt account within the department of

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elementary and secondary education. Payments from the account shall be limited to payments to

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the transportation service provider and transportation system consultants. This restricted receipt

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account shall not be subject to the indirect cost recoveries provisions set forth in § 35-4-27.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

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     This act would provide that the state would reimburse the school committees for the costs

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of providing student transportation services to public and private school pupils.

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     This act would take effect July 1, 2019.

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