H-3674.3          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2469

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives B. Thomas, Brumsickle, Dyer, Chandler, Carlson, Quall, Schoesler, Sheahan, L. Thomas, Hymes and Robertson

Read first time 01/11/96.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Changing school bus acquisition provisions.

     AN ACT Relating to school bus acquisitions; and amending RCW 28A.160.195.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.160.195 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 10 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with ((the regional)) transportation ((coordinators of the)) directors representing the geographical areas of the state, the various sizes of school districts, and educational service districts, shall establish ((a minimum number of)) school bus categories ((considering)) based on the capacity ((and)), the type of vehicles, the type of fuel, and the engine placement of school buses used and required by school districts in Washington.  The superintendent, in consultation with the ((regional transportation coordinators of the educational service districts)) transportation directors, shall establish competitive specifications for each category of school bus owned and operated by at least twenty percent of school districts.  The categories shall be developed to produce minimum long-range operating costs, including costs of equipment and all costs in operating the vehicles.  ((The categories, for purposes of comparative studies, will be at a minimum the same as those in the beginning of the 1994-95 school year.))  The competitive specifications shall meet federal motor vehicle safety standards, minimum state specifications as established by rule by the superintendent, and supported options as determined by the superintendent in consultation with ((the regional transportation coordinators of the educational service districts)) transportation directors.

     (2) After establishing school bus categories and competitive specifications, the superintendent of public instruction shall solicit competitive price quotes from school bus dealers to be in effect for one year and establish a list of the lowest competitive price quotes obtained under this subsection.

     (3) The superintendent shall base the level of reimbursement to school districts and educational service districts for school buses on the lowest quote in each category.

     (4) Notwithstanding RCW 28A.335.190, school districts and educational service districts may purchase at the quoted price directly from the dealer who is providing the lowest competitive price quote on the list established under subsection (2) of this section.  School districts and educational service districts may make their own selections for school buses, but shall be reimbursed at the rates determined under this section and RCW 28A.160.200.  District-selected options shall not be reimbursed by the state.

     (5) This section does not prohibit school districts or educational service districts from conducting their own competitive bid process.

     (6) The superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement this section.

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