Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB1970

LRB104 10794 LNS 20875 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1970

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Mike Simmons - Ram Villivalam

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education shall award grant money in the form of a voucher of $125,000 to a school district that submits a grant application to the State Board to be applied on the total purchase price of an electric school bus to effectively lower the purchase price of the electric school bus to the school district. Sets forth eligibility requirements for a school district to receive a grant. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate a request for applications for grants towards the purchase of a electric school bus grant and applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that if the appropriation for grants under this Section for a given fiscal year is less than the amount required to fund all applications for grants, the State Board of Education shall give priority to school districts designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2 that do not have any electric school buses. Sets forth the application requirements. Allows the State Board of Education to adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of the provisions. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 2-3.206 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new)

Sec. 2-3.206. Grants for replacing an old school bus with electric school bus.

(a) As used in this Section, "electric school buses" means a battery-powered electric bus operated solely by electricity that has zero tailpipe emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

(b) Subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education shall award grant money in the form of a voucher of $125,000 to a school district that submits a grant application to the State Board of Education. The vouchers are to be applied on the total purchase price of an electric school bus to effectively lower the purchase price of the electric school bus to the school district. The actual funds of $125,000 shall be disbursed to the school district when the school district appropriates the remainder of the purchase price of the electric school bus from its own budget.

The school district shall not have a current or pending application for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program or the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Beneficiary Mitigation Plan in the 2025-2026 year.

The vouchers shall only be awarded to a school district purchasing a full size 66 or greater passenger electric school bus that will replace an old school bus for each electric school bus. The old school bus may be any internal combustion engine using any fuel type, including gasoline, diesel, propane, or compressed natural gas. To be eligible, the old school bust must:

(1) be a 2014 model year or older;

(2) be applicant owned with no lienholder;

(3) be class C or D;

(4) be 66 passenger or greater;

(5) have been used by the school district for at least a year; and

(6) be decommissioned from further service, scrapped, and not resold immediately after purchase and operation of the replacement electric school bus.

(c) The State Board of Education shall annually disseminate a request for applications for grants to be disbursed in the form of vouchers in the amount of $125,000 towards the purchase of a electric school bus grant and shall accept applications on an annual basis. The State Board of Education shall establish procedures for submitting requests for grants and issuing vouchers to approved applicants.

If the appropriation for grants under this Section for a given fiscal year is less than the amount required to fund all applications for grants, the State Board of Education shall give priority to school districts designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2 pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code that do not have any electric school buses.

(e) The application for grants under this Section must include the following information:

(1) the number of full size electric school buses, if any, and full size fossil fuel-powered school buses the school district currently possesses; and

(2) a plan detailing how the school district will properly maintain, charge, and store the electric school bus once purchased.

(f) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of this Section.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.