(1) The general assembly finds that: (a) Disproportionately impacted communities are disproportionately affected by particulate matter and nitrogen oxides arising from fossil-fuel-powered school buses, especially because the fleet yards, warehouses, fuel depots, and interstates used in conjunction with school buses are often located in disproportionately impacted communities; (b) In addition to exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in their communities, school children are also exposed to fine particulates and other pollutants as a result of riding on fossil-fuel-powered school buses; (c) A transition from fossil-fuel-powered school buses to electric-powered school buses will positively affect school children's health, while helping to address long-standing pollution inequities faced by disproportionately impacted communities; (d) The federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act", Pub.L. 117-58, has created a competitive funding program to support the adoption of an electric school bus fleet, and a state program investing in electric school buses will help leverage the federal funds made available through the federal act to allow schools in the state to access the federal funds; and (e) A transition to electric school buses can provide benefits to the operation of the electric grid in the state: (I) If the timing of charging electric school buses is managed to support grid operations; and (II) Through the potential for using batteries on electric school buses: (A) As a source of renewable energy through vehicle-to-grid operations; and (B) As a community resilience resource to help communities affected by power outages or disasters causing electric grid interruptions. (2) The general assembly further finds and declares that: (a) The state should help school districts procure and maintain electric-powered school buses and related infrastructure, convert fossil-fuel-powered school buses to electric-powered school buses, and facilitate the associated retirement of fossil-fuel-powered school buses; and (b) School districts can leverage state grant money to obtain money from federal and private sources to further finance the transition to an electric-powered school bus fleet.
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