Zero-emission schoolbus replacement grants: private contractors.

Existing law appropriates, for the 2023–24 fiscal year, $375,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Air Resources Board for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Voucher Incentive Project to fund grants to local educational agencies, as defined, for zero-emission schoolbuses to replace heavy-duty internal combustion schoolbuses owned by local educational agencies, as specified, and $125,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to fund grants to local educational agencies for zero-emission schoolbus charging or fueling infrastructure and related activities, including, but not limited to, charging or fueling stations, equipment, site design, construction, and related infrastructure upgrades, in order to complement those vehicle investments, as specified. This bill would also make the above-described grants available to a private contractor, defined as an entity under contract with a school district, county office of education, or charter school with ownership of title for a schoolbus that is used to provide transportation services for the school district, county office of education, or charter school, as provided. By expanding the scope of eligibility for purposes of an appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require the State Air Resources Board to establish the minimum time period for which a private contractor would be required to contract to provide transportation services to a school district, county office of education, or charter school using a schoolbus acquired pursuant to these provisions and to develop a depreciation schedule for the schoolbus that determines the amount of grant moneys that the private contractor would be required to repay to the State Air Resources Board if the private contractor does not provide transportation services using the schoolbus for the minimum time period.