AN ACT CONCERNING HYBRID SCHOOL BUSES.

House of Representatives
HB5470 / File No. 422 1

General Assembly File No. 422
February Session, 2026 House Bill No. 5470

House of Representatives, April 7, 2026

The Committee on Energy and Technology reported through
REP. STEINBERG of the 136th Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the House, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING HYBRID SCHOOL BUSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 22a-201d of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
(a) As used in this section, (1) "zero-emission school bus" has the same 3
meaning as provided in 42 USC 16091(a)(8), as amended from time to 4
time, (2) "alternative fuel school bus" means a school bus that reduces 5
emissions and is operated entirely or in part using liquefied natural gas, 6
compressed natural gas, hydrogen, propane or biofuels, (3) "hybrid 7
school bus" means a school bus that uses (A) a combustion engine fueled 8
by gasoline, diesel, liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, 9
hydrogen, propane or biofuels, and (B) an electric motor capable of 10
propelling the bus that is powered by an electric battery or battery pack, 11
to provide vehicle propulsion from either the combustion engine or the 12
electric motor, or both, and [(3)] (4) "environmental justice community" 13
has the same meaning as provided in subsection (a) of section 22a-20a. 14
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(b) [Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, (1) on ] On 15
and after January 1, [2035] 2040, one hundred per cent of the school 16
buses that provide transportation for all school districts in the state shall 17
be zero-emission school buses, [or] alternative fuel school buses [, and 18
(2) on and after January 1, 2040, one hundred per cent of the school buses 19
that provide transportation for all school districts in the state shall be 20
zero-emission] or hybrid school buses. 21
[(c) On and after January 1, 2030, one hundred per cent of the school 22
buses that provide transportation for school districts entirely within an 23
environmental justice community as of July 1, 2022, or in an area that 24
encompasses at least one environmental justice community as of July 1, 25
2022, shall be zero-emission school buses.] 26
[(d)] (c) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection 27
shall establish and administer a grant program for the purpose of 28
providing matching funds necessary for municipalities, school districts 29
and school bus operators to submit federal grant applications [in order] 30
to maximize federal funding for the purchase or lease of zero -emission 31
school buses , alternative fuel school buses, hybrid school buses and 32
electric vehicle charging or fueling infrastructure. Applications for such 33
grants shall be filed with the commissioner at such time and in such 34
manner as the commissioner prescribes. The commissioner shall give 35
preference to applications concerning the purchase or lease of a zero -36
emission school bus that will be operated primarily in an environmental 37
justice community. The commissioner shall determine the amount a 38
municipality, school district or school bus operator shall be required to 39
provide to match such grant. 40
[(e)] (d) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection 41
shall, within available funds and appropriations, provide 42
administrative and technical assistance to municipalities, school 43
districts and school bus operators that are transitioning to the use of 44
zero-emission school buses, [applying] alternative fuel school buses and 45
hybrid school buses that apply for federal grants for such buses and for 46
installing electric vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure. 47
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Sec. 2. Subsection (h) of section 22a-202 of the 2026 supplement to the 48
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 49
thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 50
(h) There is established an account to be known as the "Connecticut 51
hydrogen and electric automobile purchase rebate program account", 52
which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account. The account shall contain 53
any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. Moneys in 54
the account shall be expended by the Commissioner of Energy and 55
Environmental Protection for the purposes of (1) administering the 56
Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate 57
program and the voucher program established pursuant to section 22a-58
201e, and (2) paying the staffing needs associated with administering 59
the grant program for zero-emission buses, alternative fuel school buses 60
and hybrid school buses and providing administrative and technical 61
assistance for such grant program pursuant to section 22a -201d, as 62
amended by this act. 63
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 22a-201d
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 22a-202(h)

ET Joint Favorable

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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact: None
Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Local and Regional School
Districts
Potential
Savings
See Below See Below

Explanation
Section 1 delays (until January 1, 2040) the requirement for all school
buses to be zero-emission and allows alternative fuel and hybrid buses
to be considered compliant. The requirement is delayed for 10 years for
school districts in an environmental justice community, and five years
for all other districts. This correspondingly delays, until FY 40, costs a
district would incur in order to comply with the requirement, or allows
a district to more gradually shift its school bus fleet toward compliance.
The expansion to alternative fuel and hybrid school buses potentially
results in a savings to districts to the extent that hybrid or alternative
fuel buses and fueling costs are less expensive than no emission or
alternative fuel buses.
Section 2 expands the existing Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection (DEEP) matching grant program for school
buses to include alternative fuel and hybrid school buses and does not
result in a cost to DEEP as the expansion provides flexibility to grant
recipients.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the costs associated with alternative
fuel and hybrid school buses.
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OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5470

AN ACT CONCERNING HYBRID SCHOOL BUSES.

SUMMARY
This bill generally eases the current requirement for school districts
to transition to zero -emission school buses by delaying the transition’s
deadline for certain school districts and allowing alternative fuel and
hybrid school buses to meet the requirement.
Current law requires that all school buses be zero -emission school
buses by (1) January 1, 2030, in school districts entirely within, or that
contain, an environmental justice community as of July 1, 2022, and (2)
January 1, 2040, in other districts. It also sets an interim requirement for
school districts not located entirely within, or that do not contain, an
environmental justice community, requiring that 100% of buses in these
districts be either zero -emission school buses or alternative fuel school
buses by January 1, 2035.
The bill instead requires all school buses to be either zero -emission,
alternative fuel, or hybrid buses by January 1, 2040, regardless of the
school district’s location. Under the bill, a “hybrid school bus” is a
school bus that uses (1) a combustion engine fueled by gasoline, diesel,
liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, propane , or
biofuels and ( 2) an electric motor capable of propelling the bus that is
powered by an electric battery or battery pack, to provide vehicle
propulsion from either the combustion engine or the electric motor, or
both. By law, an “alternative fuel school bus” is a school bus that reduces
emissions and is operated entirely or in part using liquefied natural gas,
compressed natural gas, hydrogen, propane, or biofuels.

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Current law also generally requires the energy and environmental
protection commissioner to (1) have a grant program to award matching
funds needed for municipalities, school districts, and school bus
operators to submit federal grant applications and maxi mize federal
funding for zero -emission school buses and electric vehicle (EV)
charging or fueling infrastructure and (2) give administrative and
technical assistance to municipalities, school districts, and school bus
operators transitioning to zero -emission school buses, applying for
federal grants for them, and installing EV charging and fueling
infrastructure. The bill correspondingly expands these requirements to
also cover alternative fuel and hybrid school buses.
It also makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
BACKGROUND
Related Bill
sSB 416, favorably reported by the Transportation Committee, (1)
requires 90%, rather than 100%, of school buses to be zero-emission by
2040 and sets earlier interim deadlines for distressed municipalities; (2)
eliminates the requirement that environmental justice communities
fully transition to zero -emission school buses by 2030; (3) requires
municipalities to submit plan s outlining how they will meet the
requirements; and (4) modifies the zero -emission school bus grant
program.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Energy and Technology Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 22 Nay 4 (03/19/2026)