This bill requires all school buses transporting students to public, charter, vocational, private, or parochial schools to have seatbelts for every seat, meeting federal safety standards. It directly affects school districts, schools, and transportation companies contracted to provide bus services. Transportation providers must file a notice with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education confirming all buses comply with the seatbelt requirement. The law takes effect one year after passage, with existing contracts needing to comply by that date.
This bill requires all school bus operators to complete de-escalation training approved by the commissioner of education. It directly affects school bus operators and their employers, who must cover the training costs. The law mandates that employers pay for this training, which focuses on techniques to reduce conflicts during student transportation. The training is intended to improve safety and communication during bus operations.
By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 328) of John J. Cronin, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Joanne M. Comerford, Vanna Howard and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to full funding of regional school district transportation. Education.
By Representative Marsi of Dudley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 643) of John J. Marsi, Marcus S. Vaughn and Todd M. Smola relative to regional school transportation reimbursement. Education.
By Representative Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 736) of Andres X. Vargas relative to providing for de-escalation tactics and techniques approved by the Commissioner of Education for school bus operators. Education.
By Mr. Payano, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 435) of Pavel M. Payano relative to providing for de-escalation tactics and techniques approved by the Commissioner of Education for school bus operators. Education.
By Mr. Fernandes, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2683) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Dylan A. Fernandes for legislation to eliminate predatory transportation pricing of school districts. Education.
HD 1962 requires school districts to reimburse parents or guardians who provide transportation for school-age children with disabilities. Reimbursement covers the state employee mileage rate plus minimum wage for time spent, limited to round-trip distance between home and school for regular attendance and school-sponsored activities. The bill specifies reimbursement is based on a direct route and explicitly states no parent or guardian is obligated to provide transportation. This policy directly affects families caring for children with disabilities who transport them to school.
This bill (SD 40) requires the state treasurer to reimburse school districts and vocational schools for transportation costs of students in special education programs. It directly affects school districts that provide transportation for these students, as it covers costs not normally provided to regular students and not eligible for other state reimbursements. The reimbursement includes the base cost per pupil in regular programs plus any excess costs for special education transportation, capped at 110% of the average excess cost across all districts. Funding will be phased in over four years, starting at 25% in 2026 and reaching 100% by 2029.
This bill allows Massachusetts school districts to charge transportation fees for students in grades 7-12 attending out-of-district vocational or agricultural schools. The fee cannot exceed what in-district students pay for similar transportation. Families with incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level are exempt from this fee. The policy directly affects nonresident students seeking specialized education outside their home district.
