Eliminates the requirement that when the board of education enters into a piggyback contract with another school district that transports students pursuant to a contract with a private transportation contractor, the board finds that the entry into the piggyback contract will result in a cost savings to the school district.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A450
SPONSOR: Solages TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to piggyback bus trans-
portation contracts
PURPOSE:
To address the school bus shortage by allowing for buses to pick up
students from other districts.
SUMMARY:
Section 1. Establishes the title of the bill.
Section 2. Amends Paragraph g of subdivision 14 of section 305 of the
education law, as added by section 12-a of part YYY of chapter 59 of the
laws of 2019.
Section 3. Sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State is facing a school bus driver shortage. This is causing
disruptions in the transportation system that is so vital in getting our
students to and from school on time.
However, NYS law prohibits school districts from entering into "piggy-
back" agreements unless there is a cost savings. Piggyback agreements
allow for buses to pick up students that may be on their route, but are
not necessarily students of the school district that the bus company is
in a contract with.
Minor costs should not get in the way of providing our children with the
safe and timely transportation that they need. This bill will bolster
our school bus system by eliminating the section of the law that
prevents these agreements from coming into effect.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
TBD.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A5925; referred to education.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
upon which it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
450
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, LAVINE -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to piggyback bus trans-
portation contracts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "school bus
2 route efficiency act".
3 § 2. Paragraph g of subdivision 14 of section 305 of the education
4 law, as added by section 12-a of part YYY of chapter 59 of the laws of
5 2019, is amended to read as follows:
6 g. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, section one
7 hundred three of the general municipal law, or any other provision of
8 law to the contrary, the board of education shall be authorized to enter
9 into a piggyback contract with another school district that transports
10 students pursuant to a contract with a private transportation contrac-
11 tor, provided that the board finds that the contract cost is appropriate
12 [and entry into a piggyback contract will result in a cost savings to
13 the school district]. For purposes of this paragraph, a "piggyback
14 contract" means a contract for the transportation of students that: (1)
15 provides transportation for one school district to a location outside
16 the students' school district of residence [to which another school
17 district is already providing transportation to its own students through
18 an existing contract with a private transportation contractor, other
19 than a cooperatively bid contract]; (2) provides transportation for
20 another school district for its own students to the same or nearby
21 locations through a contract with a private transportation contractor;
22 (3) is entered into by the private transportation contractor and each
23 school district involved; and [(3)] (4) provides for transportation in
24 accordance with the terms and conditions of such [existing] transporta-
25 tion contract.
26 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
27 the date upon which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02177-01-5
