§16091 Clean school bus program

Summary

Creates a program run by the EPA Administrator to give competitive grants, rebates, and contracts to replace old school buses with cleaner buses. The program funds buses that run on alternative fuels (like liquefied or compressed natural gas, hydrogen, propane, or biofuels) or buses that produce zero tailpipe emissions. Key terms: Administrator = EPA Administrator; alternative fuel = liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, propane, or biofuels; clean school bus = a bus that cuts emissions and uses an alternative fuel or is zero-emission; eligible contractor = a business or nonprofit that can sell, lease, or finance clean buses or their equipment; eligible recipient = local or State school bus providers, eligible contractors, nonprofit school transportation groups, certain charter schools, and certain Tribal entities; high-need local educational agency = a school district with high percentages of students in need; zero-emission school bus = a bus with a drivetrain that makes no exhaust pollution or greenhouse gases in any mode. Half of each year’s award money must go to replacing buses with zero-emission buses and half may go to replacing buses with clean or zero-emission buses. The EPA must consider cost, local route and weather needs, emission reductions, and whether funds will help new technologies scale. The agency may give priority to projects serving high-need districts, Bureau-funded or certain Tribal schools, rural or low-income areas, or projects that bring other funding. Awards can cover up to 100 percent of replacement and infrastructure costs. Buses bought with these funds must stay in the buying fleet at least 5 years (with limited exceptions), be kept and fueled or charged per maker instructions, and not have devices that create pollution inside the bus. The EPA must spread awards across the nation and keep any single State’s share under 10 percent of annual funds. The EPA must send Congress a report by January 31 each year with application and award details. The EPA had to start an outreach program within 120 days after November 15, 2021, to explain the program, technologies, costs, best practices, and training. Up to 3 percent of each year’s money may be used for program administration. The law allows $1,000,000,000 each fiscal year for 2022 through 2026, with $500,000,000 for adopting clean and zero-emission buses and $500,000,000 for adopting zero-emission buses. The EPA may issue rules and guidance needed to run the program.