Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee
HB 1644
Brief Description: Permitting funds in the transportation vehicle fund to be used for electric and other clean pupil transportation vehicle feasibility planning and fueling station infrastructure.
Sponsors: Representatives Senn, Ybarra, Leavitt, Bateman, Ryu, Shewmake, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Valdez, Callan, Macri, Peterson, Ramos, Santos, Chopp, Slatter, Bergquist, Tharinger, Harris-Talley and Hackney.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Expands allowable uses of school districts' transportation vehicle funds to include purchase, installation, and repair of vehicle charging stations and other clean vehicle alternative fueling stations, and feasibility studies to transition to electric or alternative fuel vehicles for pupil transportation.
Hearing Date: 1/24/22
Staff: James Mackison (786-7104).
Background:

School District Funds.
School districts are required to maintain funds to account for their financial operations.  The largest fund is the district's general fund, which accounts for activities not required to be accounted for in a separate fund.  Accounts separate from a school district's general fund include the Capital Projects Fund, the debt service fund, the associated student body fund, and the transportation vehicle fund.  Each fund may have limits on money that can be deposited into the fund and allowable uses of money expended from the fund.

 

Transportation Vehicle Fund.
Deposits in a school district's transportation vehicle fund may include, but are not limited to, state depreciation payments to reimburse school districts for vehicle purchases, proceeds from the sale of vehicles, and two-year levies for transportation vehicle funds authorized by voters.  Allowable uses of money within the transportation vehicle fund include purchases and repairs of pupil transportation vehicles.  Vehicle purchases may include electric buses and other alternative fuel vehicles.
Summary of Bill:

The allowable uses of school districts' transportation vehicle funds are expanded to include the following additional uses:

  • Purchase, installation, and repair of electric pupil transportation vehicle charging stations and other clean pupil transportation vehicle alternative fueling stations and other costs necessary for their installation; and
  • To complete feasibility plans to transition from gas or diesel pupil transportation vehicles to electric or alternative fuel pupil transportation vehicles.

 
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.