Rhode Island HB 8199: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- STUDENT TRANSPORTATION (Includes the towns of Lincoln and North Providence in Region I and the city of Cranston and the town of Johnston in Region II for grades nine (9) through twelve (12) for school bus districts.)

Bill Text

2018 -- H 8199
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
Introduced By: Representatives Ucci, Fellela, and Costantino
Date Introduced: May 16, 2018
Referred To: House Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 16-21.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21.1 entitled 1
"Transportation of School Pupils Beyond City and Town Limits [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The 2
Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
16-21.1-2. School bus dis tricts e s tablis he d. 4
(a) There are hereby established school bus districts within the state to provide bus 5
transportation in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare for pupils in grades kindergarten 6
through twelve (12), or in special education programs, who attend public schools, including 7
vocational schools and special education programs provided in accord with regulations of the 8
board of regents for elementary and secondary education, consolidated schools, regional schools 9
established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., or who participate in cooperative programs as 10
provided by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., and nonpublic nonprofit schools which are consolidated, 11
regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state which 12
schools satisfy the requirements of law for any of the grades of school, kindergarten through 13
twelve (12), as follows: 14
(1) Region I: The towns of Burrillville, North Smithfield, and Cumberland, and the city 15
of Woonsocket; 16
(2) Region II: The county of Kent, except the town of West Greenwich and the towns of 17
Foster, Glocester, and Scituate; 18
(3) Region III: The towns of Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence, 19

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Barrington, Warren, and Bristol, and the cities of Cranston, Central Falls, East Providence, 1
Pawtucket, and Providence; 2
(4) Region IV: The county of Washington and the towns of Jamestown and West 3
Greenwich; 4
(5) Region V: The towns of Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, and Tiverton, and 5
the city of Newport. 6
(b) A pupil attending a school, including a public school, vocational school, special 7
education program provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and 8
secondary education, a regional school established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., as 9
authorized by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., or a nonpublic nonprofit school for grades kindergarten through 10
twelve (12), consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific 11
area within the state for any of the grades of schools, kindergarten through twelve (12), in the 12
interest of public safety, health, and welfare, shall be provided with bus transportation to the 13
school or facility which the pupil attends, within the region in which the pupil resides, by the 14
school committee of the city or town within which the pupil resides; provided, however that the 15
town of Johnston shall be required to provide transportation to its residents attending Bishop 16
Hendricken High School in Warwick. The cost of transporting a pupil attending a charter school, 17
the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School ("Davies"), or the Metropolitan 18
Regional Career and Technical Center ("the Met Center") within the established region shall be 19
charged to the receiving school at the same grade level transportation per pupil cost of the 20
resident district. Districts may offer transportation to charter schools, Davies, or the Met Center 21
outside the established region in order to facilitate efficiency provided there is not additional cost 22
to the resident district. 23
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 24
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
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This act would require the town of Johnston to provide transportation to its residents who 1
attend Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick. 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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