Bill Text: IA HF2293 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to school district transportation costs by establishing a transportation equity program, modifying provisions relating to transportation assistance aid provided by the school budget review committee, and making appropriations.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-17 - Subcommittee, Highfill, Hanson, and Salmon. H.J. 248. [HF2293 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF2293-Introduced.html
House File 2293 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY HANSON A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to school district transportation costs by 2 establishing a transportation equity program, modifying 3 provisions relating to transportation assistance aid 4 provided by the school budget review committee, and making 5 appropriations. 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5777YH (2) 86 md/sc PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 257.16C Transportation equity 1 2 program == fund. 1 3 1. A transportation equity program is established to 1 4 provide additional funding for school districts with a 1 5 transportation cost per pupil that exceeds the statewide 1 6 minimum transportation cost per pupil for the same budget year. 1 7 2. a. For the budget year beginning July 1, 2016, and 1 8 each succeeding budget year, the department of management 1 9 shall annually determine a statewide adjusted transportation 1 10 cost per pupil that is not lower than the statewide minimum 1 11 transportation cost per pupil. The statewide adjusted 1 12 transportation cost per pupil shall be annually determined, 1 13 by taking into account amounts appropriated under subsection 1 14 3, for the purpose of providing transportation equity aid for 1 15 those school districts with the highest transportation cost per 1 16 pupil differential. 1 17 b. Each school district that satisfies the criteria of 1 18 subsection 1 shall receive transportation equity aid in an 1 19 amount equal to the school district's actual enrollment for 1 20 the school year, excluding the shared=time enrollment for the 1 21 school year, multiplied by the difference between the school 1 22 district's transportation cost per pupil for the budget year 1 23 and the statewide adjusted transportation cost per pupil for 1 24 the budget year. 1 25 c. For purposes of this section: 1 26 (1) "Statewide minimum transportation cost per pupil" means 1 27 the lowest transportation cost per pupil among all school 1 28 districts in the state. 1 29 (2) "Transportation cost per pupil differential" means the 1 30 difference between a school district's transportation cost per 1 31 pupil and the statewide minimum transportation cost per pupil 1 32 for the same budget year. 1 33 d. A district's transportation cost per pupil shall be 1 34 determined by dividing the district's actual cost for all 1 35 children transported in all school buses for a school year 2 1 pursuant to section 285.1, subsection 12, less the amount 2 2 received for transporting nonpublic school pupils under section 2 3 285.1, by the district's actual enrollment for the school year, 2 4 excluding the shared=time enrollment for the school year as 2 5 defined in section 257.6. 2 6 3. a. A transportation equity fund is created as a separate 2 7 and distinct fund in the state treasury under the control of 2 8 the department of management. Moneys in the fund include 2 9 revenues credited to the fund, appropriations made to the 2 10 fund, and other moneys deposited in the fund. For each fiscal 2 11 year beginning on or after July 1, 2016, there is appropriated 2 12 all moneys in the fund to the department of management for 2 13 purposes of making transportation equity aid payments under 2 14 this section, as calculated under subsection 2. 2 15 b. If the balance of the fund exceeds the amount 2 16 necessary to make all transportation equity aid payments, 2 17 moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year, 2 18 notwithstanding section 8.33, shall remain in the fund and 2 19 shall be available for expenditure for the purposes of this 2 20 section in subsequent fiscal years. 2 21 4. Transportation equity aid payments shall be paid by 2 22 the department of education at the same time and in the same 2 23 manner as foundation aid is paid under section 257.16, and may 2 24 be included in the monthly payment of state aid under section 2 25 257.16, subsection 2. 2 26 5. Transportation equity aid payments received under 2 27 this section are miscellaneous income and shall be deposited 2 28 in the general fund of the school district. However, the 2 29 transportation equity aid amount shall not be included in 2 30 district cost. Transportation equity aid under this section 2 31 shall not affect the receipt or amount of a budget adjustment 2 32 received under section 257.14. 2 33 Sec. 2. Section 257.31, subsection 17, Code 2016, is amended 2 34 by striking the subsection. 2 35 Sec. 3. Section 321.34, subsection 22, paragraph b, Code 3 1 2016, is amended to read as follows: 3 2 b. The special school transportation fee for letter=number 3 3 designated education plates is thirty=five dollars. The fee 3 4 for personalized education plates is twenty=five dollars, which 3 5 shall be paid in addition to the special school transportation 3 6 fee of thirty=five dollars. The annual special school 3 7 transportation fee is ten dollars for letter=number designated 3 8 registration plates and is fifteen dollars for personalized 3 9 registration plates which shall be paid in addition to the 3 10 regular annual registration fee. The fees collected by the 3 11 director under this subsection shall be paid monthly to the 3 12 treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The 3 13 treasurer of state shall transfer monthly from the statutory 3 14 allocations fund created under section 321.145, subsection 3 15 2, to theschool budget review committee in accordance with 3 16 section 257.31, subsection 17transportation equity fund 3 17 created in section 257.16C, the amount of the special school 3 18 transportation fees collected in the previous month for the 3 19 education plates. 3 20 Sec. 4. IMPLEMENTATION. Moneys transferred to the school 3 21 budget review committee for the purposes of section 257.31, 3 22 subsection 17, Code 2016, that remain unexpended on June 30, 3 23 2016, shall be transferred to the department of management and 3 24 deposited in the transportation equity fund created in section 3 25 257.16C. 3 26 EXPLANATION 3 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 28 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 29 This bill establishes the transportation equity program 3 30 to provide additional funding for school districts with a 3 31 transportation cost per pupil that exceeds the statewide 3 32 minimum transportation cost per pupil for the same budget year. 3 33 For the budget year beginning July 1, 2016, the department 3 34 of management is required to determine a statewide adjusted 3 35 transportation cost per pupil that is not lower than the 4 1 statewide minimum transportation cost per pupil. The statewide 4 2 adjusted transportation cost per pupil shall be annually 4 3 determined, by taking into account amounts appropriated, for 4 4 the purpose of providing transportation equity aid for those 4 5 school districts with the highest transportation cost per pupil 4 6 differential. 4 7 Each eligible school district shall receive transportation 4 8 equity aid in an amount equal to the school district's actual 4 9 enrollment for the school year, excluding the shared=time 4 10 enrollment for the school year, multiplied by the difference 4 11 between the school district's transportation cost per pupil for 4 12 the budget year and the statewide adjusted transportation cost 4 13 per pupil for the budget year. The bill defines "statewide 4 14 minimum transportation cost per pupil" and "transportation cost 4 15 per pupil differential". The bill also establishes the method 4 16 used to calculate a district's transportation cost per pupil. 4 17 The bill establishes a transportation equity fund and 4 18 annually appropriates all moneys in the fund to the department 4 19 of management for purposes of making transportation equity 4 20 aid payments. If the balance of the fund exceeds the amount 4 21 necessary to make all transportation equity aid payments, 4 22 moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year 4 23 are required to remain in the fund and are available for 4 24 expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. The bill also 4 25 establishes the timing and procedure for making transportation 4 26 equity aid payments. 4 27 Transportation equity aid payments are miscellaneous income 4 28 and shall be deposited in the general fund of the school 4 29 district. However, the transportation equity aid amount shall 4 30 not be included in district cost. Transportation equity aid 4 31 under this Code section shall not affect the receipt or amount 4 32 of a budget adjustment received under Code section 257.14. 4 33 The bill strikes that portion of Code section 257.31 that 4 34 authorized the school budget review committee to provide 4 35 transportation assistance aid to certain school districts using 5 1 fees collected for vehicle registration plates containing an 5 2 education emblem and provides for the transfer of such fees to 5 3 the transportation equity fund created in the bill, instead of 5 4 being transferred to the school budget review committee for 5 5 transportation assistance aid. 5 6 The bill provides that any moneys transferred to the 5 7 school budget review committee for the purposes of providing 5 8 transportation assistance aid that remain unexpended on June 5 9 30, 2016, shall be transferred to the department of management 5 10 and deposited in the transportation equity fund created in the 5 11 bill. LSB 5777YH (2) 86 md/sc
