HLS 10RS-2763 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE BILL NO. 1376
BY REPRESENTATIVE HINES
SCHOOLS/TRANSPORTATION: Requires local school boards to provide free
transportation for students attending BESE-approved schools within the local board's
jurisdictional boundaries if the student resides more than 1,000 feet from school
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:158(A)(1), (2), and (3) and (C); to provide relative to the2
transportation of students by local school boards to certain elementary and secondary3
schools; to require transportation if the student resides more than one thousand feet4
from such school; to provide relative to transportation for a student who resides one5
thousand feet or less from the school; to provide conditions for and limitations on6
such transportation; to provide relative to reimbursement by the state Department of7
Education to certain persons when transportation is not provided by a local school8
board for economically justifiable reasons; to provide conditions for and limitations9
on such reimbursement; to provide an effective date; and to provide for related10
matters.11
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:12
Section 1. R.S. 17:158(A)(1), (2), and (3) and (C) are hereby amended and reenacted13
to read as follows: 14
ยง158. School buses for transportation of students; employment of bus operators;15
alternative means of transportation; improvement of school bus turnarounds16
A.(1) Except as provided by Subsection H of this Section and in accordance17
with the requirements of Subsection F of this Section, each city, parish, and city18
other local public school board shall provide free transportation for any student19 HLS 10RS-2763 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 1376
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attending a school of suitable grade approved by the State Board of Elementary and1
Secondary Education within the jurisdictional boundaries of the parish or school2
local board if the student resides more than one mile thousand feet from such school.3
(2) The Terrebonne Parish School Board may provide transportation for any4
student attending a school of suitable grade approved by the State Board of5
Elementary and Secondary Education within the jurisdictional boundaries of the6
parish or school board who resides one mile thousand feet or less from the school7
when the school board determines that conditions exist to warrant such8
transportation. Transportation of students residing one mile thousand feet or less9
from their school shall be at no cost to the state.10
(3) The Beauregard Parish School Board, the Cameron Parish School Board,11
the East Feliciana Parish School Board, the Grant Parish School Board, the Iberville12
Parish School Board, the Morehouse Parish School Board, the Natchitoches Parish13
School Board, the Pointe Coupee Parish School Board, the Rapides Parish School14
Board, the Red River Parish School Board, the Sabine Parish School Board, the15
Vernon Parish School Board, the West Baton Rouge Parish School Board, the West16
Carroll Parish School Board, the West Feliciana Parish School Board, and the Winn17
Parish School Board may provide transportation for any student attending a school18
of suitable grade approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary19
Education within the jurisdictional boundaries of the parish or school board who20
resides one mile thousand feet or less from the school when the school board21
determines that conditions exist to warrant such transportation. Transportation of22
students residing one mile thousand feet or less from their school shall be at no cost23
to the state.24
* * *25
C. If transportation is not provided by the city, parish, or city other local26
public school board by reason of for economically justifiable reasons approved by27
the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with the28
provisions of Subsection H of this Section, the Department of Education, in29 HLS 10RS-2763 ORIGINAL
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accordance with the provisions of Subsection D hereof of this Section, shall1
reimburse the parent or tutor of any student who resides more than one mile thousand2
feet from the school attended by the student to the extent and in the amounts that3
funds are so appropriated by the legislature, but in no event shall such reimbursement4
exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars per student or three hundred seventy-five5
dollars for any one family.6
* * *7
Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not8
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature9
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If10
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become11
effective on the day following such approval.12
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Hines HB No. 1376
Abstract: Requires a local school board to provide free transportation for a student
attending a BESE-approved school within the local board's jurisdictional boundaries
if the student resides more than 1,000 feet from the school. Permits certain school
boards to provide transportation to a student who resides 1,000 feet or less from the
school under specified conditions and with certain limitations. Also provides
relative to certain reimbursements from the state Dept. of Education when the
required transportation is not provided by a local school board for economically
justified reasons.
Present law (R.S. 17:158(A)(1)) requires (with certain permitted exceptions) each parish and
city school board to provide free transportation for any student attending a school of suitable
grade approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) within
the jurisdictional boundaries of the local board if the student resides more than one mile
from such school.
Proposed law retains present law except to require transportation if the student resides more
than 1,000 feet from such school rather than more than one mile from the school. Also
makes technical corrections to refer to city, parish, and other local public school boards
rather than parish and city school boards.
Present law (R.S. 17:158(A)(2) and (3)) authorizes 17 specified local school boards to
provide transportation for any student attending a BESE-approved school of suitable grade
within the jurisdictional boundaries of the local board who resides one mile or less from the
school when the school board determines that conditions warrant the transportation.
Specifies that such transportation shall be at no cost to the state. HLS 10RS-2763 ORIGINAL
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Proposed law retains present law except to refer to a student who resides 1,000 feet or less
from the school rather than one mile or less from the school.
Present law (R.S. 17:158(C)) provides that if transportation is not provided by the parish or
city school board for economically justifiable reasons approved by BESE, the state Dept. of
Education shall reimburse the parent or tutor of any student who resides more than one mile
from the student's school to the extent and in the amounts that funds are appropriated by the
legislature. Specifies that in no event shall the reimbursement exceed $125 per student or
$375 for any one family per year.
Proposed law retains present law except to provide for reimbursement to the parent or tutor
of any student who resides more than 1,000 feet from the school attended rather than more
than one mile from the school attended.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:158(A)(1), (2), and (3) and (C))