BILL NUMBER: AB 537	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 2, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 15, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Aroner

                        FEBRUARY 18, 1999

   An act to add Section 41857 to the Education Code, relating to
school transportation  , and making an appropriation therefor
 .



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 537, as amended, Aroner.  School transportation:
appropriation.
   Existing law establishes a formula for the apportionment by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction of an amount from the State
School Fund to fund home-to-school transportation.
   This bill would establish an alternative formula for funding
home-to-school transportation for a school district in which at least
50% of the pupils enrolled in the district qualified for free and
reduced price lunches, district's home-to-school transportation
entitlement was less than 15% of the district's home-to-school
approved expenses, and the number of average daily boardings by
pupils enrolled in the school district who use public transit as
home-to-school transportation in the 1997-98 fiscal year exceeded 30%
of the district's enrollment.
   This bill would  continuously appropriate commencing with
the 1999-2000 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, from
Section A of the School Fund to the Superintendent of Public
Instruction the amount necessary to fund the additional
home-to-school transportation allowance   make these
provisions operative only in fiscal years in which funds are
appropriated in the Budget Act for that fiscal year for the purposes
of this bill.  The bill would limit annual expenditure for these
purposes to not more than $500,000  .  The funds appropriated by
this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirement
for school districts and community college districts imposed by
Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:   yes   no
 .  Fiscal committee:  yes. State-mandated local program:  no.


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) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for
purposes of this article, commencing with the 1999-2000 fiscal year
and each fiscal year thereafter, the home-to-school transportation
allowance received by  a school district that is eligible pursuant to
subdivision (b) established at an amount equal to the district prior
year CBEDS enrollment times the statewide average per pupil
allowance for home-to-school transportation, but in no event shall
the home-to-school transportation allowance be in an amount greater
than the approved costs of home-to-school transportation received by
that district for that fiscal year.
   (b) A school district is eligible for a home-to-school
transportation allowance pursuant to subdivision (a) if it meets all
of the following conditions:
   (1) At least 50 percent of the pupils enrolled in the district
qualified for free and reduced price lunches according to data from
the 1997 CBEDS.
   (2) The district's home-to-school transportation entitlement was
less than 15 percent of the district's home-to-school approved
expenses, as reported by Exhibit 1-A of the State Department of
Education's 1997-98 home-to-school transportation apportionment
exhibit.
   (3) The number of average daily boardings by pupils enrolled in
the school district who use public transit as home-to-school
transportation in the 1997-98 fiscal year exceeded 30 percent of the
district's CBEDS enrollment.  
   (c) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
commencing with the 1999-2000 fiscal year, and each fiscal year
thereafter, the amount necessary to fund the additional
home-to-school transportation allowance provided by this section is
hereby appropriated from Section A of the School Fund to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to make allocations to school
districts who qualify for funding under this section.  
   (c) This section shall be operative only during those fiscal years
in which funds are appropriated in the Budget Act for that fiscal
year for the purposes of this section.
   (d) Not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) may be
expended annually pursuant to this section.