BILL NUMBER: SB 497INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Vidak FEBRUARY 26, 2015 An act to add Section 41857 to the Education Code, relating to pupil transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 497, as introduced, Vidak. Pupil transportation: data. Existing law authorizes the governing board of any school district to provide for the transportation of pupils to and from school whenever, in the judgment of the governing board of the school district, the transportation is advisable and good reasons for it exist. Existing law further authorizes the governing board of any school district to contract with the county superintendent of schools to provide necessary transportation services. This bill would, commencing with data for the 2014-15 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, require the State Department of Education to collect specified pupil transportation data from each school district, charter school, county office of education, joint powers authority, and regional occupational center or program that provides pupil transportation. The bill would require the department to post the data on its Internet Web site, and would require the data to be separated between home-to-school transportation and special education transportation. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 41857 is added to the Education Code, to read: 41857. (a) Commencing with data for the 2014-15 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, the department shall collect pupil transportation data from each school district, charter school, county office of education, joint powers authority, and regional occupational center or program that provides pupil transportation. (b) The data collected shall include, but is not limited to, totals from each entity for all of the following: revenue received for transportation purposes, number of buses, ridership of all pupils, ridership of pupils with an individualized education program (IEP), ridership of pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, number of miles driven, approved costs, cost per mile, and cost per pupil. (c) (1) The department shall annually post the data collected on its Internet Web site. (2) The data posted on the department's Internet Web site shall also include the statewide average cost per mile and the statewide average cost per pupil. (3) The data posted on the department's Internet Web site shall be separated between home-to-school transportation and special education transportation, as those terms are defined in Section 41850. SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.