[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 86 (Friday, June 24, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7378-S7379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Salazar, and Mr. 
        Kerry):
  S. 1311. A bill to provide grants for use by rural local educational 
agencies in purchasing new school buses; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, many years ago, when I attended school in 
Searchlight, I walked to school. And when it was time for high school, 
I hitched a ride into a town forty miles away and had to stay with 
family during the week. There weren't many options back then. That was 
the transportation system in rural America: walk or hitchhike.
  Now, of course, we have school buses to get children to school.
  Unfortunately, rural school districts across America are strapped. 
They can't afford to buy newer, safer buses. And skyrocketing gas 
prices have only made the problem worse. As a result, many rural areas 
have no choice but to operate outdated, unsafe school buses for as long 
as they can pass inspection.
  Last year, I met with the school superintendents in my State. While 
each district identified their own, unique challenge, they all had an 
urgent need for school buses. I was astonished to learn that the school 
buses in some rural Nevada counties travel a combined million miles in 
a single school year.
  The superintendents asked for my help, and I want to help. And based 
on conversations with some of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, 
I am pretty confident the need for newer and safer school buses is not 
unique to Nevada's rural school districts.
  I am introducing legislation today that will help rural districts 
transport children to school in a way that is safe, affordable, and 
environmentally sound.
  The ``Bus Utility and Safety in School Transportation Opportunity and 
Purchasing Act of 2005''--or BUS STOP--authorizes the Federal 
Government to provide $50,000,000 in grants on a competitive basis to 
rural local education agencies seeking Federal share assistance to 
purchase school buses. The Federal share will be 75 percent.
  Some may wonder why we need such a program when the Environmental 
Protection Agency already has a cost-share grant program to help school 
districts purchase new buses powered by natural gas or other 
alternative fuels.
  Unfortunately, most of the rural districts in my State, and, I would 
imagine, across the country cannot apply for these grants because they 
don't have the infrastructure in place to support this technology.
  However, working in the spirit of clean air and healthy children, my 
bill will help rural school districts buy newer buses that are better 
for our air, and safer for our children.
  There are many small, rural towns in America, like Searchlight, where 
the kids need our help. They deserve no less than safe. clean, 
economical buses to get them to school.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1311

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Bus Utility and Safety in 
     School Transportation Opportunity and Purchasing Act of 
     2005''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) school transportation issues remain a concern for 
     parents, local educational agencies, lawmakers, the National 
     Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National 
     Transportation Safety Board, and the Environmental Protection 
     Agency;
       (2) millions of children face potential future health 
     problems because of exposure to noxious fumes emitted from 
     older school buses;
       (3) many rural local educational agencies are operating 
     outdated, unsafe school buses that are failing inspection, 
     resulting in a depletion of the school bus fleets of the 
     local educational agencies; and
       (4) many rural local educational agencies are unable to 
     afford newer and safer buses.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish 
     within the Department of Education a Federal cost-sharing 
     program to assist rural local educational agencies with 
     older, unsafe school bus fleets in purchasing newer, safer 
     school buses.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Rural local educational agency.--The term ``rural local 
     educational agency'' means a local educational agency, as 
     defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), with respect to 
     which--
       (A) each county in which a school served by the local 
     educational agency is located has a total population density 
     of fewer than 10 persons per square mile;
       (B) all schools served by the local educational agency are 
     designated with a school locale code of 7 or 8, as determined 
     by the Secretary of Education; or
       (C) all schools served by the local educational agency have 
     been designated, by official action taken by the legislature 
     of the State in which the local educational agency is 
     located, as rural schools for purposes relating to the 
     provision of educational services to students in the State.
       (2) School bus.--The term ``school bus'' means a vehicle 
     the primary purpose of which is to transport students to and 
     from school or school activities.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Education.

     SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--From amounts made available under 
     subsection (e) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide 
     grants, on a competitive basis, to rural local educational 
     agencies to pay the Federal share of the cost of purchasing 
     new school buses.
       (b) Application.--
       (1) In general.--Each rural local educational agency that 
     seeks to receive a grant under this Act shall submit to the 
     Secretary for approval an application at such time, in such 
     manner, and accompanied by such information (in addition to 
     information required under paragraph (2)) as the Secretary 
     may require.
       (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall include--
       (A) documentation that, of the total number of school buses 
     operated by the rural local educational agency, not less than 
     50

[[Page S7379]]

     percent of the school buses are in need of repair or 
     replacement;
       (B) documentation of the number of miles that each school 
     bus operated by the rural local educational agency traveled 
     in the most recent 9-month academic year;
       (C) documentation that the rural local educational agency 
     is operating with a reduced fleet of school buses;
       (D) a certification from the rural local educational agency 
     that--
       (i) authorizes the application of the rural local 
     educational agency for a grant under this Act; and
       (ii) describes the dedication of the rural local 
     educational agency to school bus replacement programs and 
     school transportation needs (including the number of new 
     school buses needed by the rural local educational agency); 
     and
       (E) an assurance that the rural local educational agency 
     will pay the non-Federal share of the cost of the purchase of 
     new school buses under this Act from non-Federal sources.
       (c) Priority.--
       (1) In general.--In providing grants under this Act, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to rural local educational 
     agencies that, as determined by the Secretary--
       (A) are transporting students in a bus manufactured before 
     1977;
       (B) have a grossly depleted fleet of school buses; or
       (C) serve a school that is required, under section 
     1116(b)(9) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 6316(b)(9)), to provide transportation to 
     students to enable the students to transfer to another public 
     school served by the rural local educational agency.
       (d) Payments; Federal Share.--
       (1) Payments.--The Secretary shall pay to each rural local 
     educational agency having an application approved under this 
     section the Federal share described in paragraph (2) of the 
     cost of purchasing such number of new school buses as is 
     specified in the approved application.
       (2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
     purchasing a new school bus under this Act shall be 75 
     percent.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
       (1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
       (2) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 
     2007 through 2011.

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