School Bus Route Amendments

HB 161 amends Utah's rules for student eligibility for state-funded school bus transportation. It sets distance thresholds: students in kindergarten through grade 6 must live at least 1.5 miles from school, while students in grade 6 (if in middle school) and grades 7-12 must live at least two miles away. Students in approved special education programs with severe disabilities who cannot walk to school, regardless of distance, remain eligible. The bill makes technical updates to existing eligibility criteria without changing funding formulas or adding new costs. It takes effect July 1, 2025.