2023 -- H 5252
========
LC000969
========
S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL PUPILS BEYOND CITY
AND TOWN LIMITS
Introduced By: Representatives Donovan, Speakman, and Knight
Date Introduced: January 27, 2023
Referred To: House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 16-21.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21.1 entitled 1
"Transportation of School Pupils Beyond City and Town Limits [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The 2
Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
16-21.1-2. School bus districts established. 4
(a) There are hereby established school bus districts within the state to provide bus 5
transportation in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare for pupils in grades kindergarten 6
through twelve (12), or in special education programs, who attend public schools, including 7
vocational schools and special education programs provided in accord with regulations of the board 8
of regents for elementary and secondary education, consolidated schools, regional schools 9
established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., or who participate in cooperative programs as 10
provided by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., and nonpublic nonprofit schools which are consolidated, 11
regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state which 12
schools satisfy the requirements of law for any of the grades of school, kindergarten through twelve 13
(12), as follows: 14
(1) Region I: The towns of Burrillville, North Smithfield, and Cumberland, and the city of 15
Woonsocket; 16
(2) Region II: The county of Kent, except the town of West Greenwich and the towns of 17
Foster, Glocester, and Scituate; 18
LC000969 - Page 2 of 3
(3) Region III: The towns of Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence, Barrington, 1
Warren, and Bristol, and the cities of Cranston, Central Falls, East Providence, Pawtucket, and 2
Providence; 3
(4) Region IV: The county of Washington and the towns of Jamestown and West 4
Greenwich; 5
(5) Region V: The towns of Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Warren, Bristol, 6
and Tiverton, and the city of Newport. 7
(b) A pupil attending a school, including a public school, vocational school, special 8
education program provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and 9
secondary education, a regional school established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., as 10
authorized by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., or a nonpublic nonprofit school for grades kindergarten through 11
twelve (12), consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific 12
area within the state for any of the grades of schools, kindergarten through twelve (12), in the 13
interest of public safety, health, and welfare, shall be provided with bus transportation to the school 14
or facility which the pupil attends, within the region in which the pupil resides, by the school 15
committee of the city or town within which the pupil resides. The cost of transporting a pupil 16
attending a charter school, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School 17
(“Davies”), or the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (“the Met Center”) within 18
the established region shall be charged to the receiving school at the same grade level transportation 19
per pupil cost of the resident district. Districts may offer transportation to charter schools, Davies, 20
or the Met Center outside the established region in order to facilitate efficiency provided there is 21
not additional cost to the resident district. 22
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023. 23
========
LC000969
========
LC000969 - Page 3 of 3
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL PUPILS BEYOND CITY
AND TOWN LIMITS
***
This act would remove the towns of Warren and Bristol from school bus district Region III 1
and place Warren and Bristol in school bus district Region V. 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
========
LC000969
========