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School Bus Retrofit and Replacement Account

Intent or Criteria: Proposition 1B, which was approved by the voters on November 7th, 2006, enacts the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006. This bond act authorizes $200 million for replacing and retrofitting school buses. Funds shall be available upon appropriation by the Legislature for the Lower-Emission School Bus Program to fund replacement school buses and retrofit devices thereby reducing air pollution and reducing children's exposure to diesel exhaust.

Guidelines: Program Guidelines for fiscal year 2007-2008 were adopted by the Air Resources Board (ARB) on March 27, 2008.
 Project List: Funds have been awarded to local air districts to replace or retrofit school buses per Health & Safety Code section 44299.91.
Program Status: The ARB has received two installments of funds totaling approximately $83 million.  Local air districts are currently implementing the program with those funds.  

Administrative Agency: California Environmental Protection Agency/Air Resources Board

Recipient Agencies: Local air districts and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA).

Accountability Plan: The three-part accountability structure for this Program, required by Executive Order S-02-07, was approved by the Department of Finance on February 27, 2008.
Report to the Department of Finance

The Air Resources Board is required by Senate Bill 88, the legislation that enables Propostion 1B, to report to the Department of Finance on a semi-annual basis the activities and progress made toward implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program.

Current Activities

Public Workshop To Discuss Revisions To The Lower-Emissions School Bus Program and the Carl Moyer Program

ARB staff participated in a public workshop on Tuesday, January 26, to discuss proposed revisions to the Lower-Emission School Bus Program Guidelines and the Carl Moyer Program Guidelines.  The proposed revisions are scheduled to be brought to the Board at the ARB Board Meeting on March 25-26, 2010.

The proposed changes to the LESBP Guidelines are discussed in the following documents:;

Updates to Guidelines and Existing Grant Agreements (Board Action May 28, 2009)

With the uncertainty in the timing for full bond funding for the School Bus Program, staff asked the Board to provide the ARB Executive Officer with the authority and flexibility to amend current grant agreements with the 35 local air districts, and to make future changes to the Lower-Emission School Bus Program Guidelines, if needed, to support effective implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program.  Installments of Bond Funding ($83 million to date) for the Lower-Emission School Bus Program

ARB received the first installment of $12 million in bond funding to cover disbursements made to local air districts prior to December 2008. ARB received the next installment of $71 million in bond funding in May 2009 to purchase replacements of eligible pre-1977 model year school buses, to fund projects covered by signed grant agreements, and fund projects in areas with the largest air quality need.

ARB has posted a project list showing how the $83 million in bond funds will be distributed. Local agencies have received authorization to restart those projects at the funding levels shown on this list.   Other projects remain suspended until additional bond funds are available. Suspension of Propositon 1B Grant Monies

On December 19, 2008 ARB staff instructed local agencies implementing Prop 1B grants that these agencies must suspend entering into new contracts that would be funded from Prop 1B grant monies or expending funds for signed contracts because ARB is not authorized to approve payments until we have access to funds to cover the Prop 1B programs.
ARB Implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program

The Air Resources Board is acting as the implementing agency for 13 local air pollution control and air quality management districts. If your school district, joint powers authority, or private transportation contractor (provides transportation to public schools), operates in one of these 13 air districts, then you would apply for funding directly to the ARB, not your local air district.

ARB is the implementing agency for the following air districts: Amador, Antelope, Colusa, Feather River, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Mojave, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Siskiyou, and Tehama.

For the latest information about ARB implementing the Lower-Emission School Bus Program, go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/schoolbus/arbimplementation.htm

Resources:
  • Board Resolution (March 27, 2008) (pdf - 305 KB) adopting 2008 Program Guidelines
  • Program Guidelines that define the responsibilities of ARB, local air districts, and school district; as well as the technical specifications and funding caps.
  • Advisory/Mailouts published as needed to clarify the Lower-Emission School Bus Program guidelines and ARB policies as they relate to this program. 
  • Board Resolution (May 28, 2009) (pdf - 13 KB) provides the Executive Officer authority to make changes and requires amendments to grants with local air districts.
Disbursement Request Form: This form is for air districts that are implementing their own programs to request initial and subsequent disbursements of School Bus funds.
Contact Information:
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