1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2act relating to the public school system, including certain
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5laws relating thereto," further providing for when
6transportation of pupils provided.

7The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8hereby enacts as follows:

9Section 1. Section 1361 of the act of March 10, 1949 
10(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, 
11amended May 11, 1979 (P.L.26, No.7), is amended to read:

12Section 1361. When Transportation of Pupils Provided.--(a)
13(1) The board of school directors in any school district may,
14out of the funds of the district, provide for the free
15transportation of any resident pupil to and from the
16kindergarten, elementary school, or secondary school in which
17[he] the pupil is lawfully enrolled, provided that such school
18is not operated for profit and is located within the district
19boundaries or outside the district boundaries at a distance not

1exceeding ten miles by the nearest public highway, except that
2such ten-mile limit shall not apply to area vocational technical
3schools which regularly serve eligible district pupils or to
4special schools and classes approved by the Department of
5Education, and to and from any points within or without [the]
6this Commonwealth in order to provide field trips for any
7purpose connected with the educational pursuits of the pupils.
8When provision is made by a board of school directors for the
9transportation of public school pupils to and from such schools
10or to and from any points within or without [the] this
11Commonwealth in order to provide field trips as herein provided,
12the board of school directors shall also make identical
13provision for the free transportation of pupils who regularly
14attend nonpublic kindergarten, elementary and high schools not
15operated for profit to and from such schools or to and from any
16points within or without [the] this Commonwealth in order to
17provide field trips as herein provided. Such transportation of
18pupils attending nonpublic schools shall be provided during
19regular school hours on such dates and periods that the
20nonpublic school not operated for profit is in regular session,
21according to the school calendar officially adopted by the
22directors of the same in accordance with provisions of law. The
23board of school directors shall provide such transportation
24whenever so required by any of the provisions of this act or of
25any other act of Assembly.

26(2) The board of school directors in any school district
27may, if the board deems it to the best interest of the school
28district, for the purposes of transporting pupils as required or
29authorized by any of the provisions of this act or of any other
30act of the Assembly, appropriate funds for urban common carrier

1mass transportation purposes from current revenues to urban
2common carrier mass transportation authorities to assist the
3authorities to meet costs of operation, maintenance, capital
4improvements, and debt service. Said contributions shall not be
5subject to reimbursement by the Commonwealth [of Pennsylvania].

6(3) The State Board of Education shall adopt regulations,
7including qualifications of school bus drivers, to govern the
8transportation of school pupils.

9(b) Nothing in this section may be construed to require a
10school district to transport pupils to a school or school
11district outside this Commonwealth, except for special schools
12and classes that provide specialized instruction to students
13with disabilities, which specialized instruction is approved by
14the Department of Education.

15Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.