BILL NUMBER: AB 537	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 17, 1999
	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   41858  to
the Education Code, relating to school transportation.


	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   an
eligible  school district  in which   and
would make a school district eligible if  at least 50% of the
pupils enrolled in the district qualified for free and reduced price
 lunches   meals  ,  the  district'
s  basic  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 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:  no.  Fiscal committee:  yes.
State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section  41857   41858  is
added to the Education Code, to read:  
   41857.  
   41858.   (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)  shall be  established at an amount equal
to the district prior year CBEDS enrollment times the  prior year
 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.   meals, as reported in 1997
to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 
   (2) The district's  basic home-to-school transportation
entitlement  , exclusive of any funding available for
home-to-school transportation from supplemental grants or
transportation equalization formulas,  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  , as reported to the
State Department of Education by the school district,  exceeded
30 percent of the district's CBEDS enrollment.
   (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.