BILL NUMBER: S1495
SPONSOR: FAHY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to universal pre-kinder-
garten school bus transportation
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would ensure that universal pre-kindergarten transportation
can be reimbursed like any other pupil transportation service, allowing
for the expansion of safe travel to and from beneficial educational
programs for the youth of our state.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends paragraph g of subdivision 1 of Section 3635 of the
Education Law to state that costs for pupil transportation for the
purposes of universal pre-kindergarten and district-sponsored are aida-
ble.
Section 2 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The state currently allows school districts to offer pupil transporta-
tion for universal pre-kindergarten programs, but the legislation that
authorized this simultaneously prohibited transportation aid reimburse-
ment for these services. While some have suggested that this can be
achieved at no cost to the school district by route sharing, most
programs end at noon whereas the regular school bus routes do not resume
until the end of the "normal" school day. Current law has the uninten-
tional consequence of creating an unfunded mandate on school districts,
who must pay for additional routes without reimbursement by the state.
It also discourages the expansion of pre-kindergarten by creating a
major barrier - namely, transportation expenses for school districts.
This bill would ensure that universal pre-kindergarten transportation
can be reimbursed like any other pupil transportation service, allowing
for the expansion of safe travel to and from beneficial educational
programs for the youth of our state.
2023-2024:S. 5497-Referred to Education/A.3183- Referred to Education
2021-2022:S.1971-Referred to Education/A.2660 -Referred to Education
2019-2020:S.4409-Referred to Education/A.5467 -Referred to Education
2017-2018:S.5355-A- Amend and Recommit to Education/A.1762-A - Amend and
Recommit to Education
2015-2016: A.1103 - Referred to Education
2013-2014: A.8482 - Referred to Education
 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the 2025-2026
school year and all school years commencing thereafter.