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[ Engrossed ] | [ Enrolled ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
[ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
90_SB0031 20 ILCS 405/35.10 new 105 ILCS 5/29-18 new 625 ILCS 5/807.2 new Amends the School Code, Illinois Vehicle Code, and the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Establishes a matching grant reimbursement program under which school districts are reimbursed, from a separate appropriation made for that purpose, for one-third of the approved additional costs which they incur as a result of the installation of crossing control arms on school buses. Subject to a limited exemption for school buses from sister states, prohibits operating a school bus in Illinois after December 31, 1997 unless the bus is equipped with a crossing control arm meeting standards promulgated by the Department of Transportation. Provides that if a school bus is manufactured after December 31, 1997 the crossing control arm must be installed by the original bus body manufacturer. Provides that if the crossing control arms are installed on buses manufactured before December 31, 1997 on school buses owned, purchased, or leased by a school district, the district, in order to qualify for matching grant reimbursement, must purchase the crossing control arms from the Department of Central Management Services. Provides for the Department of Central Management Services to purchase or contract for the purchase of crossing control arms and to sell them to school districts at the competitively bid State contract price. Adds provisions relative to the procedure for obtaining reimbursement. Effective July 1, 1997. LRB9000026THkb LRB9000026THkb 1 AN ACT relating to school buses, amending named Acts. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 5 amended by adding Section 35.10 as follows: 6 (20 ILCS 405/35.10 new) 7 Sec. 35.10. School bus crossing control arms. The 8 Department of Central Management Services is authorized to 9 enter into contracts for the purchase of and to purchase 10 crossing control arms, meeting equipment standards 11 promulgated by the Department of Transportation under Section 12 12-807.2 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, to be installed on 13 school buses that are manufactured before January 1, 1998 and 14 that are owned, purchased, or leased by school districts for 15 transportation of their pupils. 16 Contracts entered into by the Department under this 17 Section shall recite that they are subject to termination and 18 cancellation in any year for which the General Assembly fails 19 to make an appropriation to make payments under the terms of 20 the contracts. 21 Crossing control arms meeting the applicable Department 22 of Transportation standards shall be purchased or contracted 23 to be purchased by the Department of Central Management 24 Services for the use of and sale to school districts, as 25 provided in this Section, under procedures established by the 26 Director to implement the provisions of this Section. The 27 competitive bidding and economical procurement practices 28 applicable under the Illinois Purchasing Act to the purchase 29 of or contracts for the purchase of equipment by the 30 Department or by the Department for other State agencies 31 shall apply to all contracts let under this Section for the -2- LRB9000026THkb 1 purchase of crossing control arms by the Department. 2 The Department shall make the crossing control arms 3 purchased by it under this Section available for sale to and 4 purchase by school districts at the same contract price at 5 which the crossing control arms were purchased by the 6 Department. 7 All funds received by the Department from school 8 districts purchasing crossing control arms from the 9 Department shall be transmitted, as received by the 10 Department, to the State Treasurer for deposit into the State 11 Treasury. 12 Section 10. The School Code is amended by adding Section 13 29-18 as follows: 14 (105 ILCS 5/29-18 new) 15 Sec. 29-18. Crossing control arms; matching grant 16 reimbursement program. 17 (a) A matching grant reimbursement program is hereby 18 created for the benefit of each school district that incurs 19 approved additional costs for either or both of the following 20 purposes: 21 (1) the purchase and installation, after the 22 effective date of this amendatory Act of 1996 and in 23 accordance with equipment and installation standards 24 promulgated by the Department of Transportation under 25 Section 12-807.2 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, of 26 crossing control arms on school buses that (i) are 27 manufactured before January 1, 1998, and (ii) are owned, 28 purchased, or leased by a school district for the 29 transportation of its pupils; 30 (2) purchasing, leasing, or contracting for the 31 transportation of its pupils on school buses that, in 32 order to comply with the provisions of Section 12-807.2 -3- LRB9000026THkb 1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, have been equipped with 2 crossing control arms meeting equipment and installation 3 standards promulgated by the Department of Transportation 4 under that Section. 5 (b) Under the matching grant program, the amount of a 6 school district's reimbursement grant for a fiscal year shall 7 be equal to one-third of the approved additional costs 8 incurred by a school district during that fiscal year for the 9 purposes described in subsection (a) of this Section 29-18. 10 A school district that contracts for the transportation of 11 its pupils on school buses that, in order to comply with the 12 provisions of Section 12-807.2 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, 13 have been equipped with crossing control arms as provided in 14 part (2) of subsection (a) of this Section 29-18 may claim 15 matching grant reimbursement under this Section for one-third 16 of any approved increase in its contract costs to the 17 contractor resulting therefrom. 18 (c) In order for a school district to claim matching 19 grant reimbursement under this Section for one-third of the 20 approved additional costs incurred by the district for the 21 purchase and installation of crossing control arms on school 22 buses under the provisions of part (1) of subsection (a) of 23 this Section, the district is required to purchase, at the 24 applicable State bid price determined under Section 35.10 of 25 the Civil Administrative Code, crossing control arms that 26 have been procured by the Department of Central Management 27 Services under that Section for the use of and sale to school 28 districts. 29 (d) The State Board of Education shall administer the 30 provisions of this Section and shall prescribe uniform 31 procedures and regulations governing the manner of applying 32 for matching grant reimbursement and for determining whether 33 the reimbursement is claimed only for those increased costs 34 that result from equipping school buses with crossing control -4- LRB9000026THkb 1 arms that meet the equipment and installation standards 2 promulgated by the Department of Transportation under Section 3 12-807.2 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. The State Board of 4 Education shall also prescribe forms of cost accounting for 5 use in supporting matching grant reimbursement claims under 6 this Section. 7 (e) On or before July 10, 1998, and on or before July 10 8 of each year thereafter, the school district shall certify to 9 the regional superintendent of schools upon forms prescribed 10 by the State Superintendent of Education the district's claim 11 for matching grant reimbursement for the school year ended on 12 June 30 next preceding. The regional superintendent of 13 schools shall check all claims to ascertain compliance with 14 the required procedures and upon approval shall certify not 15 later than July 25 to the State Superintendent of Education 16 the regional report of claims for matching grant 17 reimbursements. The State Superintendent of Education shall 18 review all claims and upon approval shall transmit by 19 September 15 the State report of claims along with vouchers 20 authorizing payment thereof to the State Comptroller. The 21 regional superintendents shall make the payments to their 22 respective school districts as soon as possible after receipt 23 of the warrants from the State Treasurer. 24 (f) The amount available for reimbursement under this 25 Section shall be from a separate appropriation made solely 26 for purposes of this Section. If the amount appropriated for 27 purposes of this Section is insufficient to fund total claims 28 for any fiscal year, the State Board of Education shall 29 reduce each school district's matching grant proportionately. 30 (g) Failure on the part of the school board to prepare 31 and certify the report of matching grant reimbursement claims 32 due under this Section on or before July 10 of any year, and 33 its failure thereafter to prepare and certify such report to 34 the regional superintendent of schools within 10 days after -5- LRB9000026THkb 1 receipt of notice of such delinquency sent to it by the State 2 Superintendent of Education by certified mail, return receipt 3 requested, shall constitute a forfeiture by the school 4 district of its right to be reimbursed by the State under 5 this Section. 6 (h) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this 7 Section, no claim for reimbursement shall be made, approved 8 or paid under this Section with respect to any additional 9 costs incurred by a school district resulting from equipping 10 school buses with crossing control arms pursuant to this 11 Section or as required for compliance with Section 12-807.2 12 of the Illinois Vehicle Code if any part of such additional 13 costs is included as an allowable direct cost, depreciation 14 allowance, special education allowable cost or indirect 15 allowable or other cost of transporting pupils in any claim 16 for reimbursement made under Section 29-5. 17 Section 15. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by 18 adding Section 12-807.2 as follows: 19 (625 ILCS 5/807.2 new) 20 Sec. 12-807.2. Crossing control arms. 21 (a) No Type I or Type II school bus may be operated or 22 used as a school bus within this State after December 31, 23 1997 unless that bus is equipped with a crossing control arm 24 on the front of the bus that conforms to equipment and 25 installation standards that the Department shall promulgate 26 for purposes of this subsection. 27 (b) If a Type I or Type II school bus is manufactured 28 after December 31, 1997, that bus shall not be sold for use 29 as, or purchased for the use as, or used as a school bus 30 within this State unless that bus is equipped with a crossing 31 control arm that is installed on the front of the bus by the 32 original bus body manufacturer and that conforms to equipment -6- LRB9000026THkb 1 and installation standards that the Department shall 2 promulgate for purposes of this subsection. 3 (c) A crossing control arm meeting standards promulgated 4 by the Department under this Section shall be designed to 5 swing out from the front of a school bus when the bus stops 6 and opens its doors while school children enter or exit the 7 bus, thereby requiring children who cross in front of the bus 8 to walk a sufficient distance from the front of the bus to be 9 clearly observed by the bus driver. 10 (d) This Section does not apply to the temporary 11 operation in this State of a school bus that is legally 12 registered in another state and is displaying valid 13 registration plates of that state if (i) the bus is not 14 operated in Illinois on a regular basis, and (ii) the bus is 15 being operated in Illinois in connection with a cultural, 16 tourist, athletic, or similar activity that is sponsored by 17 one or more schools located outside of Illinois for the 18 benefit of their enrolled students who are being transported 19 to or from that activity. 20 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 21 1, 1997.