As Introduced

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
H. B. No. 293


Representative Brenner 

Cosponsors: Representatives Stebelton, Amstutz, Buchy, Beck, Becker, Blessing 



A BILL
To enact section 3327.18 of the Revised Code to 1
establish the School District Transportation 2
Consolidation Pilot Program and to make an 3
appropriation. 4


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1.  That section 3327.18 of the Revised Code be 5
enacted to read as follows:6

       Sec. 3327.18.  (A) The school district transportation 7
consolidation pilot program is hereby established. Under the 8
program, the department of education shall award grants on a 9
competitive basis to consortia of school districts and educational 10
service centers that enter into agreements to regionalize student 11
transportation. To be eligible to receive a grant under this 12
section, a consortium shall consist of two or more school 13
districts and an educational service center which have entered 14
into mutual agreements whereby participating school districts 15
equitably share costs of student transportation as arranged and 16
coordinated by the educational service center. The purpose of each 17
grant awarded under this section shall be to pay start-up costs 18
associated with the regionalization agreement. No single grant 19
award shall exceed five million dollars. The participating 20
educational service center shall be the fiscal agent for the grant 21
award.22

       (B) The regionalization agreement between the participating 23
school districts and educational service center supported by any 24
grant awarded under this section shall specify, at a minimum, the 25
following:26

       (1) A stipulation that a portion of the moneys received under 27
the grant shall be used for covering costs associated with 28
implementing the regionalization agreement, including the purchase 29
of additional school buses and other goods and services necessary 30
to implement the agreement.31

       (2) The manner in which any savings resulting from the 32
regionalization agreement will be shared among the participating 33
school districts;34

       (3) Whether or not the educational service center shall 35
contract with a regional transit authority or other approved 36
transportation provider to provide transportation services to 37
students;38

       (4) A stipulation specifying the materials and financial 39
resources that may be contributed by the participating school 40
districts; 41

       (5) The aggregate fees to be charged by the fiscal agent and 42
any agency with which it subcontracts to cover personnel and 43
program costs with administering the agreement. Such fees shall 44
not exceed seven per cent of the value of the agreement and shall 45
be subject to controlling board approval if in excess of four per 46
cent of the value of the agreement. 47

       (C)(1) Not later than December 31, 2015, a school district 48
that participates in a grant awarded under this section shall 49
report to the department on the progress and outcomes of the pilot 50
program.51

       (2) Not later than July 1, 2016, the department shall issue a 52
report to the general assembly, in accordance with section 101.68 53
of the Revised Code, and to the governor, based on the reports 54
under division (B)(1) of this section, on the progress and 55
outcomes of the pilot program.56

       (D) The amount paid to or spent on behalf of a school 57
district under this section is in addition to any amount 58
calculated and paid to the district under section 3317.0212 of the 59
Revised Code.60

       (E) The pilot project established under this section shall 61
cease to exist on July 1, 2018.62

       Section 2. All items in this section are hereby appropriated 63
as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the 64
credit of the designated fund. For all appropriations made in this 65
act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2014 and those 66
in the second column are for fiscal year 2015. The appropriations 67
made in this act are in addition to any other appropriations made 68
for the FY 2014-FY 2015 biennium.69

Appropriations

EDU DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
70

General Revenue Fund71

GRF 200466 Transportation Consolidation Grants $ 25,000,000 $ 25,000,000 72
TOTAL GRF General Revenue Fund $ 25,000,000 $ 25,000,000 73
TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS $ 25,000,000 $ 25,000,000 74

       TRANSPORTATION CONSOLIDATION GRANTS75

        The foregoing appropriation item 200466, Transportation 76
Consolidation Grants, shall be used by the Department of Education 77
to award grants under the School District Transportation 78
Consolidation Pilot Program pursuant to section 3327.18 of the 79
Revised Code.80

       An amount equal to the unexpended, unencumbered portion of 81
the foregoing appropriation item 200466, Transportation 82
Consolidation Grants, at the end of fiscal year 2014 is hereby 83
reappropriated to the Department of Education for the same purpose 84
for fiscal year 2015.85

       Section 3. Within the limits set forth in this act, the 86
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts 87
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation 88
made in this act, and shall determine the form and manner in which 89
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from 90
appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as 91
though made in the main operating appropriations act of the 130th 92
General Assembly.93

        The appropriations made in this act are subject to all 94
provisions of the main operating appropriations act of the 130th 95
General Assembly that are generally applicable to such 96
appropriations. 97