THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY MOUL, D. COSTA, GINGRICH, GROVE, HARRIS, HELM, HORNAMAN, M. K. KELLER, MUNDY, O'NEILL, READSHAW, SCAVELLO, SCHMOTZER AND VULAKOVICH, JUNE 13, 2012

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 13, 2012  

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," in pupils and attendance, further

providing for when transportation of pupils provided.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 1361 of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,

amended May 11, 1979 (P.L.26, No.7), is amended to read:

Section 1361.  When Transportation of Pupils Provided.--(a)

(1)  The board of school directors in any school district may,

out of the funds of the district, provide for the free

transportation of any resident pupil to and from the

kindergarten, elementary school, or secondary school in which

[he] the pupil is lawfully enrolled, provided that such school

is not operated for profit and is located within the district

boundaries or outside the district boundaries at a distance not

exceeding ten miles by the nearest public highway, except that

such ten-mile limit shall not apply to area vocational technical

schools which regularly serve eligible district pupils or to

special schools and classes approved by the Department of

Education, and to and from any points within or without [the]

this Commonwealth in order to provide field trips for any

purpose connected with the educational pursuits of the pupils.

When provision is made by a board of school directors for the

transportation of public school pupils to and from such schools

or to and from any points within or without [the] this 

Commonwealth in order to provide field trips as herein provided,

the board of school directors shall also make identical

provision for the free transportation of pupils who regularly

attend nonpublic kindergarten, elementary and high schools not

operated for profit to and from such schools or to and from any

points within or without [the] this Commonwealth in order to

provide field trips as herein provided. Such transportation of

pupils attending nonpublic schools shall be provided during

regular school hours on such dates and periods that the

nonpublic school not operated for profit is in regular session,

according to the school calendar officially adopted by the

directors of the same in accordance with provisions of law. The

board of school directors shall provide such transportation

whenever so required by any of the provisions of this act or of

any other act of Assembly.

(2)  The board of school directors in any school district

may, if the board deems it to the best interest of the school

district, for the purposes of transporting pupils as required or

authorized by any of the provisions of this act or of any other

act of the Assembly, appropriate funds for urban common carrier

mass transportation purposes from current revenues to urban

common carrier mass transportation authorities to assist the

authorities to meet costs of operation, maintenance, capital

improvements, and debt service. Said contributions shall not be

subject to reimbursement by the Commonwealth [of Pennsylvania].

(3)  The State Board of Education shall adopt regulations,

including qualifications of school bus drivers, to govern the

transportation of school pupils.

(b)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to require

any school district to transport pupils to any school or school

district outside this Commonwealth, except for special schools

and classes that provide specialized instruction to students

with disabilities, which specialized instruction is approved by

the Department of Education.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.