1248-S AMH WALJ MACK 337

SHB 1248 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-2697.2/24) 890

By Representative Walsh

NOT ADOPTED 02/08/2024

On page 1, beginning on line 3 of the striking amendment, strike all material through the end of the striking amendment and insert the following:

" NEW SECTION. Sec. A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction must provide transportation safety net awards to school districts with a convincingly demonstrated need for additional transportation funding for special passengers. Transportation safety net awards shall only be provided when a school district's allowable transportation expenditures attributable to serving special passengers exceeds the amount provided under RCW 28A.160.180 and any excess transportation costs reimbursed by federal, state, tribal, or local child welfare agencies.

(2) For the purposes of this section, "special passengers" include:

(a) Students eligible for and receiving special education that require transportation as a related service of their individualized education program;

(b) Homeless students requiring transportation under the McKinney-Vento act, reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the no child left behind act, P.L. 107-110, in January 2002; and

(c) Foster students receiving transportation as required under section 1112(c)(5)(B) of the every student succeeds act, P.L. 114-95.

(3) To be eligible for additional transportation safety net award funding, the school district must report, in accordance with statewide accounting guidance, the amount of the excess costs and the specific activities or services provided to special passengers that created the excess costs.

(4) The superintendent of public instruction must establish rules and processes for transportation safety net applications and awards. The omnibus appropriations act must specify the total amount available for transportation safety net awards. Total awards may not exceed the amount appropriated. The superintendent of public instruction must submit to the office of financial management, and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature, the total demonstrated need and awards by school district.

(5) Charter schools established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal compact schools established under chapter 28A.715 RCW are eligible for awards under this section.

(6) Transportation safety net awards allocated under this section are not part of the state's program of basic education.

Sec. RCW 28A.160.193 and 2018 c 266 s 103 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, a transportation alternate funding grant program is created.

(2) As part of the award process for the grants, the superintendent of public instruction must include a review of the school district's efficiency rating, key performance indicators, and local school district characteristics such as unique geographic constraints, low enrollment, geographic density of students, ((the percentage of students served under the McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act from outside the district,)) or whether the district is a nonhigh district."

Correct the title.

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