Pupil transp. safety net

AN ACT Relating to pupil transportation safety net funding; and 1
adding a new section to chapter 28A.160 RCW. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 4
RCW to read as follows: 5
(1) The superintendent of public instruction must provide 6
transportation safety net awards to school districts with a 7
convincingly demonstrated need for additional transportation funding 8
for special passengers. Transportation safety net awards may only be 9
provided when a school district's allowable transportation 10
expenditures attributable to serving special passengers exceeds the 11
amount provided under RCW 28A.160.180 and any excess transportation 12
costs reimbursed by federal, state, tribal, or local child welfare 13
agencies. A transportation safety net award may not exceed a school 14
district's excess expenditures directly attributable to serving 15
special passengers in the pupil transportation program.16
(2) To be eligible for additional transportation safety net award 17
funding, the school district must report, in accordance with 18
statewide accounting guidance, the amount of the excess costs and the 19
specific activities or services provided to special passengers that 20
created the excess costs. 21
H-2678.1
HOUSE BILL 2287
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Fey, Santos, Zahn, Kloba, Shavers, Bergquist,
Hill, Pollet, Donaghy, and Wylie
Prefiled 01/07/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2287
(3)(a) School districts may only receive a transportation safety 1
net award for an eligible special passenger in the following award 2
periods: 3
(i) For all grades other than fifth, eighth, and 12th, through 4
the end of the first semester or trimester in which the school 5
district requests the award; and 6
(ii) For fifth, eighth, and 12th, through the end of the first 7
school year in which the school district requests the award.8
(b) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, after the award period a 9
student may be required to arrange the student's own transportation 10
to attend the school that requested the award. 11
(4) The superintendent of public instruction must establish rules 12
and processes for transportation safety net applications and awards. 13
The omnibus appropriations act must specify the total amount 14
available for transportation safety net awards. Total awards may not 15
exceed the amount appropriated. The superintendent of public 16
instruction must submit to the office of financial management, and 17
the education and fiscal committees of the legislature, the total 18
demonstrated need and awards by school district. 19
(5) For purposes of this section, "special passengers" means 20
homeless students requiring transportation under the federal 21
McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, Title 42 U.S.C. Sec. 11431 et 22
seq., and foster students receiving transportation as required under 23
the federal every student succeeds act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6312(c)(5)(b).24
(6) Charter schools established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and 25
state-tribal education compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW 26
are eligible for awards under this section. 27
(7) Transportation safety net awards allocated under this section 28
are not part of the state's program of basic education.29
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p. 2 HB 2287