H-2167.2          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1355

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1995 Regular Session

By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Brumsickle, Cole and Wolfe; by request of Office of Financial Management)

Read first time 03/01/95.

Establishing a task force to study issues associated with school bus purchases.

     AN ACT Relating to school bus acquisitions; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1)  The superintendent of public instruction shall establish and provide staff for a task force to analyze issues associated with the purchase of new school buses. 

     (2) The task force shall include:

     (a) Two members of the senate, with one member from each caucus;

     (b) Two members of the house of representatives, with one member from each caucus;

     (c) Two representatives of school districts selected by the Washington association of school administrators, with one representative from eastern Washington and one from western Washington;

     (d) Two representatives selected by the Washington association of pupil transportation, with one representative from eastern Washington and one from western Washington; and

     (e) One representative from each of the following organizations:

     (i) The office of financial management;

     (ii) The department of general administration; and

     (iii) The office of the superintendent of public instruction.

     (3) Members of the task force shall select a chair from among its members at the first task force meeting.

     (4)  The task force shall analyze:

     (a) The costs of purchasing comparable school buses in Washington and other states taking into consideration differences in geography, weather conditions, and other factors;

     (b) Actions that could be taken to reduce the cost of new buses in Washington and reduce the number of pre-1977 buses, including, but not limited to, a centralized purchasing program and contracting bus services with private firms; and

     (c) Other matters pertaining to school bus purchasing as deemed important by the task force.  

     (5) The analysis, with recommendations, shall be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 1995.

     (6)  This section shall expire December 31, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.

                                    --- END ---