Bill Text: OH HB293 | 2013-2014 | 130th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: To establish the School District Transportation Consolidation Pilot Program and to make an appropriation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-10-10 - To Education [HB293 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2013-HB293-Introduced.html

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As Introduced

130th General Assembly Regular Session 2013-2014

H. B. No. 293

Representative Brenner 

Cosponsors: Representatives Stebelton, Amstutz, Buchy, Beck, Becker, Blessing 

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A BILL

To enact section 3327.18 of the Revised Code to

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establish the School District Transportation

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Consolidation Pilot Program and to make an

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appropriation.

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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1.  That section 3327.18 of the Revised Code be	5
enacted to read as follows:	6

Sec. 3327.18.  (A) The school district transportation	7
consolidation pilot program is hereby established. Under the	8
program, the department of education shall award grants on a	9
competitive basis to consortia of school districts and educational	10
service centers that enter into agreements to regionalize student	11
transportation. To be eligible to receive a grant under this	12
section, a consortium shall consist of two or more school	13
districts and an educational service center which have entered	14
into mutual agreements whereby participating school districts	15
equitably share costs of student transportation as arranged and	16
coordinated by the educational service center. The purpose of each	17
grant awarded under this section shall be to pay start-up costs	18
associated with the regionalization agreement. No single grant	19
award shall exceed five million dollars. The participating	20
educational service center shall be the fiscal agent for the grant	21
award.	22

(B) The regionalization agreement between the participating	23
school districts and educational service center supported by any	24
grant awarded under this section shall specify, at a minimum, the	25
following:	26

(1) A stipulation that a portion of the moneys received under	27
the grant shall be used for covering costs associated with	28
implementing the regionalization agreement, including the purchase	29
of additional school buses and other goods and services necessary	30
to implement the agreement.	31

(2) The manner in which any savings resulting from the	32
regionalization agreement will be shared among the participating	33
school districts;	34

(3) Whether or not the educational service center shall	35
contract with a regional transit authority or other approved	36
transportation provider to provide transportation services to	37
students;	38

(4) A stipulation specifying the materials and financial	39
resources that may be contributed by the participating school	40
districts;	41

(5) The aggregate fees to be charged by the fiscal agent and	42
any agency with which it subcontracts to cover personnel and	43
program costs with administering the agreement. Such fees shall	44
not exceed seven per cent of the value of the agreement and shall	45
be subject to controlling board approval if in excess of four per	46
cent of the value of the agreement.	47

(C)(1) Not later than December 31, 2015, a school district	48
that participates in a grant awarded under this section shall	49
report to the department on the progress and outcomes of the pilot	50
program.	51

(2) Not later than July 1, 2016, the department shall issue a	52
report to the general assembly, in accordance with section 101.68	53
of the Revised Code, and to the governor, based on the reports	54
under division (B)(1) of this section, on the progress and	55
outcomes of the pilot program.	56

(D) The amount paid to or spent on behalf of a school	57
district under this section is in addition to any amount	58
calculated and paid to the district under section 3317.0212 of the	59
Revised Code.	60

(E) The pilot project established under this section shall	61
cease to exist on July 1, 2018.	62

Section 2. All items in this section are hereby appropriated	63
as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the	64
credit of the designated fund. For all appropriations made in this	65
act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2014 and those	66
in the second column are for fiscal year 2015. The appropriations	67
made in this act are in addition to any other appropriations made	68
for the FY 2014-FY 2015 biennium.	69

Appropriations

EDU DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION	70

General Revenue Fund	71

GRF	200466		Transportation Consolidation Grants		$	25,000,000		$	25,000,000		72
TOTAL GRF General Revenue Fund					$	25,000,000		$	25,000,000		73
TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS					$	25,000,000		$	25,000,000		74

TRANSPORTATION CONSOLIDATION GRANTS

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The foregoing appropriation item 200466, Transportation	76
Consolidation Grants, shall be used by the Department of Education	77
to award grants under the School District Transportation	78
Consolidation Pilot Program pursuant to section 3327.18 of the	79
Revised Code.	80

An amount equal to the unexpended, unencumbered portion of	81
the foregoing appropriation item 200466, Transportation	82
Consolidation Grants, at the end of fiscal year 2014 is hereby	83
reappropriated to the Department of Education for the same purpose	84
for fiscal year 2015.	85

Section 3. Within the limits set forth in this act, the	86
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts	87
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation	88
made in this act, and shall determine the form and manner in which	89
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from	90
appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as	91
though made in the main operating appropriations act of the 130th	92
General Assembly.	93

The appropriations made in this act are subject to all	94
provisions of the main operating appropriations act of the 130th	95
General Assembly that are generally applicable to such	96
appropriations.	97