AR
Arkansas House Bill HB1536

Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1536

Introduced
2/20/25  
Refer
2/20/25  
Report Pass
2/25/25  
Engrossed
2/26/25  
Refer
2/26/25  
Refer
3/11/25  
Refer
3/17/25  
Report Pass
3/17/25  

Caption

To Withhold State Transportation Funding From A School District That Does Not Require Passenger Restraint Systems In School Buses Under Certain Conditions.

Impact

By enforcing these regulations, HB1536 seeks to standardize safety measures across school districts in Arkansas. The withholding of state transportation funds serves as a leverage point to encourage compliance, ensuring that all students are provided with a safer environment when traveling to and from school. This could potentially lead to increased costs for some districts, particularly those that may have budget constraints or differing priorities in their transportation budgets.

Summary

House Bill 1536 aims to enhance the safety of school transportation by mandating the requirement of passenger restraint systems in school buses. Specifically, the bill states that if a school district fails to either propose a ballot measure for funding these systems or purchase, install, and maintain them on newly purchased buses, it will face the consequence of having state transportation funding withheld. This act is intended to ensure that all school buses meet certain safety standards essential for the protection of students during transit.

Contention

While the bill promotes increased safety for school children, it may also spark debate over the implications on local control and budget management for school districts. Some legislators may argue that this could pose undue financial pressure on districts, particularly smaller or rural ones, which may struggle to allocate funds for additional restraints. The challenge will be to ensure that the implementation of this bill does not create significant barriers for schools while aiming to enhance student safety.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

AR HB1205

To Require A School That Accepts State Funding Of Any Type To Provide Transportation To Certain Students Enrolled In The School.

AR SB434

To Reduce The Number Of Employees Required To Mandate The Electronic Filing Of Annual Withholding Statements And To Reduce The Methods By Which An Employer Can File Annual Withholding Statements.

AR SB364

To Require The State Board Of Education To Establish Within Two Years Of Its Assumption Of Authority Over A Public School District The Conditions Under Which The Public School District Shall Be Returned To Local Control.

AR HB1204

To Require Private Schools To Administer An Annual Statewide Student Assessment; And To Require Private Schools To Admit Each Student Who Applies For Admission And Intends To Cover Private School Costs With State Funding.

AR HB1539

To Repeal The Requirement That Public School Districts And Open-enrollment Public Charter Schools Offer Certain Courses To Expelled Students.

AR HB1604

To Require That A Petition Of A Student To Transfer From One School District To Another School District Be Placed On The Agenda Of A School District Board Of Directors For Review And Approval.

AR SB514

To Amend Various Provisions Of The Law That Relate To Topics Covered By, The Composition Of, And The Meeting Requirements For A School District's Committee On Personnel Policies For Classified Employees.

AR HB1782

To Amend The Law Concerning Student Restraints In Public Schools Or Educational Settings.

AR HB1602

To Allow A School District To Implement A School Week That Is Not A Five-day School Week; And To Allow A School District To Extend The School Day Or School Year To Accommodate A School Week That Is Not A Five-day School Week.

AR HB1534

To Repeal Requirements Placed On School Districts That Have A Ten Percent (10%) Or Greater Minority Population Out Of The Total Population.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.