School Bus Internet Access

Added a new definition for 'extended trip' covering school-sponsored events for grades 7-12 that require travel of more than 60 minutes one-way.

Modified eligibility criteria to require that grant recipients operate school bus routes that qualify as 'extended trips' under the new definition.

Changed requirements so grant money must be used for buses used on extended trips, and allowed retrofitting of other buses only after at least two extended-trip buses are equipped.

Updated the preference criteria to prioritize rural school districts that do not currently have internet connectivity on buses used for extended trips.

The definition of 'extended trip' (trips over 60 minutes one-way) was removed, meaning the grant is no longer restricted to buses used for long-distance travel.

Subsection (8)(b) was removed, eliminating the provision that allowed districts to use remaining grant funds to retrofit additional buses or pay for extra years of service if the initial cost was low.

Subsection (8)(b)(iii) was removed, which previously allowed districts to retrofit buses not used for extended trips using leftover funds.

The document timestamp was updated from February 2 to March 6, 2026.