Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

Hawaii Senate Bill SB868 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	THE SENATE S.B. NO. 868 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
2	2
3	3	THE SENATE S.B. NO. 868
4	4	THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
6	6
7	7	THE SENATE
8	8
9	9	S.B. NO.
10	10
11	11	868
12	12
13	13	THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
14	14
15	15
16	16
17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
18	18
19	19
20	20
21	21
22	22
23	23
24	24
25	25
26	26
27	27
28	28
29	29
30	30
31	31	A BILL FOR AN ACT
32	32
33	33
34	34
35	35
36	36
37	37	relating to the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program.
38	38
39	39
40	40
41	41
42	42
43	43	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
44	44
45	45
46	46
47	47	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there is currently a nationwide school bus driver shortage. While the department of education contracts school bus services to various contractors on multiple islands, driver shortages have resulted in the cancellation, temporary suspension, and consolidation of bus routes. Among bus service contractors statewide, an estimated one hundred seventy-nine additional drivers are needed to fully staff school bus routes. Over the last school year, one hundred seventy-five school bus drivers have vacated their positions. The legislature also finds that the school bus driver shortage negatively impacts student attendance and causes difficulties for working parents who juggle jobs and school drop-offs. In addition, the lack of affordable school bus options has made it prohibitively expensive to organize school field trips that enrich student learning. The legislature further finds that the State's severe bus driver shortage is felt disproportionately by families living in rural, underserved areas. The department of education has been forced to implement a series of unconventional programs to provide basic transportation for keiki attending public schools in rural, underserved areas. Some measures taken by the department of education include providing for pay differentials for school bus drivers in rural areas, purchasing free public bus passes for public school students, and authorizing principals or other administrative staff to drive students. In response to the State's severe bus shortage, the governor issued two emergency proclamations to address the chronic bus driver shortage for the 2024-2025 school year, which authorized the department of transportation to grant exemptions for the use of vehicles other than school buses to transport students and ensure transportation support for students attending department of education and other independent schools. Despite recent efforts to incentivize individuals to become school bus drivers, more needs to be done to address this critical shortage in the State. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a one-year school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program within the department of education to provide subsidized training and education opportunities for prospective school bus drivers. SECTION 2. (a) The department of education shall establish and administer a one-year school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program to subsidize the costs associated with the training and certification of prospective bus drivers and address the ongoing chronic shortage of school bus drivers in the State. (b) The department of education shall establish: (1) Eligibility criteria for prospective applicants to participate in the bus driver certification subsidy pilot program, including any qualifications and disqualifications for entry into the pilot program in accordance with federal and state regulations; (2) A curriculum or training plan for prospective bus drivers to obtain a commercial driver's license, including courses to obtain additional endorsements required to drive a school bus; and (3) Pathways for existing school van drivers or school bus aides to obtain a commercial driver's license, additional endorsements required to drive a school bus, or training to operate school buses for special education students. (c) The department of education shall submit an interim report on the development and administration of the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026. (d) The department of education shall submit a final report on the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027. (e) The school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program shall cease to exist at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 for the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this Act. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
48	48
49	49	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there is currently a nationwide school bus driver shortage. While the department of education contracts school bus services to various contractors on multiple islands, driver shortages have resulted in the cancellation, temporary suspension, and consolidation of bus routes. Among bus service contractors statewide, an estimated one hundred seventy-nine additional drivers are needed to fully staff school bus routes. Over the last school year, one hundred seventy-five school bus drivers have vacated their positions.
50	50
51	51	The legislature also finds that the school bus driver shortage negatively impacts student attendance and causes difficulties for working parents who juggle jobs and school drop-offs. In addition, the lack of affordable school bus options has made it prohibitively expensive to organize school field trips that enrich student learning.
52	52
53	53	The legislature further finds that the State's severe bus driver shortage is felt disproportionately by families living in rural, underserved areas. The department of education has been forced to implement a series of unconventional programs to provide basic transportation for keiki attending public schools in rural, underserved areas. Some measures taken by the department of education include providing for pay differentials for school bus drivers in rural areas, purchasing free public bus passes for public school students, and authorizing principals or other administrative staff to drive students.
54	54
55	55	In response to the State's severe bus shortage, the governor issued two emergency proclamations to address the chronic bus driver shortage for the 2024-2025 school year, which authorized the department of transportation to grant exemptions for the use of vehicles other than school buses to transport students and ensure transportation support for students attending department of education and other independent schools. Despite recent efforts to incentivize individuals to become school bus drivers, more needs to be done to address this critical shortage in the State.
56	56
57	57	Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a one-year school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program within the department of education to provide subsidized training and education opportunities for prospective school bus drivers.
58	58
59	59	SECTION 2. (a) The department of education shall establish and administer a one-year school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program to subsidize the costs associated with the training and certification of prospective bus drivers and address the ongoing chronic shortage of school bus drivers in the State.
60	60
61	61	(b) The department of education shall establish:
62	62
63	63	(1) Eligibility criteria for prospective applicants to participate in the bus driver certification subsidy pilot program, including any qualifications and disqualifications for entry into the pilot program in accordance with federal and state regulations;
64	64
65	65	(2) A curriculum or training plan for prospective bus drivers to obtain a commercial driver's license, including courses to obtain additional endorsements required to drive a school bus; and
66	66
67	67	(3) Pathways for existing school van drivers or school bus aides to obtain a commercial driver's license, additional endorsements required to drive a school bus, or training to operate school buses for special education students.
68	68
69	69	(c) The department of education shall submit an interim report on the development and administration of the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026.
70	70
71	71	(d) The department of education shall submit a final report on the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027.
72	72
73	73	(e) The school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program shall cease to exist at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
74	74
75	75	SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 for the school bus driver certification subsidy pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this Act.
76	76
77	77	The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.
78	78
79	79	SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
80	80
81	81
82	82
83	83	INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
84	84
85	85	INTRODUCED BY:
86	86
87	87	_____________________________
88	88
89	89
90	90
91	91
92	92
93	93	Report Title: DOE; School Bus Driver Certification Subsidy Pilot Program; Reports; Appropriation Description: Establishes a one-year School Bus Driver Certification Subsidy Pilot Program within the Department of Education for the 2025‑2026 school year. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates fund. The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
94	94
95	95
96	96
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100
101	101	Report Title:
102	102
103	103	DOE; School Bus Driver Certification Subsidy Pilot Program; Reports; Appropriation
104	104
105	105
106	106
107	107	Description:
108	108
109	109	Establishes a one-year School Bus Driver Certification Subsidy Pilot Program within the Department of Education for the 2025‑2026 school year. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates fund.
110	110
111	111
112	112
113	113
114	114
115	115
116	116
117	117	The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.