Transportation vehicle fund

AN ACT Relating to transportation vehicle fund transfers; and 1
amending RCW 28A.160.200 and 28A.160.130. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.160.200 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 10 s 2 are each 4
amended to read as follows: 5
(1) The superintendent shall develop a reimbursement schedule to 6
pay districts for the cost of student transportation vehicles 7
purchased after September 1, 1982. While it is the responsibility of 8
each district to select and pay for each student transportation 9
vehicle purchased by the district, each district shall be paid a sum 10
based on the category of vehicle, anticipated lifetime of vehicles of 11
this category, and state reimbursement rate for the category plus 12
inflation as recognized by the reimbursement schedule established in 13
this section as set by the superintendent. Categories and 14
reimbursement rates of vehicles shall be those established under RCW 15
28A.160.195. The accumulated value of the payments and the potential 16
investment return thereon shall be designed to be equal to the 17
replacement cost of the vehicle less its salvage value at the end of 18
its anticipated lifetime. The superintendent shall revise at least 19
annually the reimbursement payments based on the current and 20
anticipated future cost of comparable categories of transportation 21
S-3645.1
SENATE BILL 5922
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Wellman, Hansen, Frame, and Nobles
Prefiled 12/19/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5922
equipment. Reimbursements to school districts for approved 1
transportation equipment shall be placed in a separate transportation 2
vehicle fund established for each school district under RCW 3
28A.160.130. However, educational service districts providing student 4
transportation services pursuant to RCW 28A.310.180(4) and receiving 5
moneys generated pursuant to this section shall establish and 6
maintain a separate transportation vehicle account in the educational 7
service district's general expense fund for the purposes and subject 8
to the conditions under RCW 28A.160.130 and 28A.320.300.9
(2) To the extent possible, districts shall operate vehicles 10
acquired under this section not less than the number of years or 11
useful lifetime now, or hereafter, assigned to the category of 12
vehicles by the superintendent. School districts shall properly 13
maintain the transportation equipment acquired under the provisions 14
of this section, in accordance with rules established by the office 15
of the superintendent of public instruction. If a district fails to 16
follow generally accepted standards of maintenance and operation, the 17
superintendent of public instruction shall penalize the district by 18
deducting from future reimbursements under this section an amount 19
equal to the original cost of the vehicle multiplied by the fraction 20
of the useful lifetime or miles the vehicle failed to operate.21
(3) The superintendent shall annually develop a depreciation 22
schedule to recognize the cost of depreciation to districts 23
contracting with private carriers for student transportation. 24
Payments on this schedule shall be a straight line depreciation based 25
on the original cost of the appropriate category of vehicle.26
(4) If, due to changing student populations or transportation 27
needs, a school district chooses to reduce its overall fleet of 28
student transportation vehicles by forgoing vehicle replacement, the 29
school district may petition the superintendent of public instruction 30
for permission to transfer depreciation payments and earned interest 31
from a fully depreciated vehicle to another fund for alternative use. 32
If the superintendent of public instruction determines that the 33
reduction in student transportation vehicles is appropriate due to 34
forecasted declines in student enrollment or other relevant factors 35
affecting the district's transportation program, the petition must be 36
approved.37
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.160.130 and 2022 c 200 s 1 are each amended to 38
read as follows: 39
p. 2 SB 5922
(1) There is created a fund on deposit with each county treasurer 1
for each school district of the county, which shall be known as the 2
transportation vehicle fund. Money to be deposited into the 3
transportation vehicle fund shall include, but is not limited to, the 4
following: 5
(a) The balance of accounts held in the general fund of each 6
school district for the purchase of approved transportation equipment 7
and for major transportation equipment repairs under RCW 28A.150.280. 8
The amount transferred shall be the balance of the account as of 9
September 1, 1982; 10
(b) Reimbursement payments provided for in RCW 28A.160.200 except 11
those provided under RCW 28A.160.200(3) that are necessary for 12
contracted payments to private carriers; 13
(c) Earnings from transportation vehicle fund investments as 14
authorized in RCW 28A.320.300; and 15
(d) The district's share of the proceeds from the sale of 16
transportation vehicles, as determined by the superintendent of 17
public instruction. 18
(2) Funds in the transportation vehicle fund may be used for the 19
following purposes: 20
(a) Purchase of pupil transportation vehicles pursuant to RCW 21
28A.160.200 and 28A.150.280; 22
(b) Payment of conditional sales contracts as authorized in RCW 23
28A.335.200 or payment of obligations authorized in RCW 28A.530.080, 24
entered into or issued for the purpose of pupil transportation 25
vehicles; 26
(c) Major repairs to pupil transportation vehicles;27
(d) To complete a feasibility plan to transition from gas or 28
diesel pupil transportation vehicles to electric or zero emission 29
pupil transportation vehicles; 30
(e) Purchase, installation, and repair of electric pupil 31
transportation vehicle charging stations and other zero emission 32
pupil transportation vehicle fueling stations and for other costs 33
necessary for station installation; and 34
(f) Converting or repowering existing gas or diesel pupil 35
transportation vehicles to electric or zero emission pupil 36
transportation vehicles. 37
(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules 38
which shall establish the standards, conditions, and procedures 39
governing the establishment and use of the transportation vehicle 40
p. 3 SB 5922
fund. The rules shall not permit the transfer of funds from the 1
transportation vehicle fund to any other fund of the district except 2
as authorized under RCW 28A.160.200(4). 3
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p. 4 SB 5922