Bill Text: IL SB1970 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education shall award grant money in the form of a voucher of $125,000 to a school district that submits a grant application to the State Board to be applied on the total purchase price of an electric school bus to effectively lower the purchase price of the electric school bus to the school district. Sets forth eligibility requirements for a school district to receive a grant. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate a request for applications for grants towards the purchase of a electric school bus grant and applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that if the appropriation for grants under this Section for a given fiscal year is less than the amount required to fund all applications for grants, the State Board of Education shall give priority to school districts designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2 that do not have any electric school buses. Sets forth the application requirements. Allows the State Board of Education to adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of the provisions. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-06 - Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam [SB1970 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB1970-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1970 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Mike Simmons - Ram Villivalam SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education shall award grant money in the form of a voucher of $125,000 to a school district that submits a grant application to the State Board to be applied on the total purchase price of an electric school bus to effectively lower the purchase price of the electric school bus to the school district. Sets forth eligibility requirements for a school district to receive a grant. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate a request for applications for grants towards the purchase of a electric school bus grant and applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that if the appropriation for grants under this Section for a given fiscal year is less than the amount required to fund all applications for grants, the State Board of Education shall give priority to school districts designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2 that do not have any electric school buses. Sets forth the application requirements. Allows the State Board of Education to adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of the provisions. Effective immediately.
LRB104 10794 LNS 20875 b
A BILL FOR
SB1970 LRB104 10794 LNS 20875 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
2-3.206 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new)
Sec. 2-3.206. Grants for replacing an old school bus with
electric school bus.
(a) As used in this Section, "electric school buses" means
a battery-powered electric bus operated solely by electricity
that has zero tailpipe emission of carbon dioxide and other
pollutants.
(b) Subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026
school year, the State Board of Education shall award grant
money in the form of a voucher of $125,000 to a school district
that submits a grant application to the State Board of
Education. The vouchers are to be applied on the total
purchase price of an electric school bus to effectively lower
the purchase price of the electric school bus to the school
district. The actual funds of $125,000 shall be disbursed to
the school district when the school district appropriates the
remainder of the purchase price of the electric school bus
from its own budget.

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The school district shall not have a current or pending
application for the United States Environmental Protection
Agency's Clean School Bus Program or the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency's Beneficiary Mitigation Plan
in the 2025-2026 year.
The vouchers shall only be awarded to a school district
purchasing a full size 66 or greater passenger electric school
bus that will replace an old school bus for each electric
school bus. The old school bus may be any internal combustion
engine using any fuel type, including gasoline, diesel,
propane, or compressed natural gas. To be eligible, the old
school bust must:
(1) be a 2014 model year or older;
(2) be applicant owned with no lienholder;
(3) be class C or D;
(4) be 66 passenger or greater;
(5) have been used by the school district for at least a
year; and
(6) be decommissioned from further service, scrapped, and
not resold immediately after purchase and operation of the
replacement electric school bus.
(c) The State Board of Education shall annually
disseminate a request for applications for grants to be
disbursed in the form of vouchers in the amount of $125,000
towards the purchase of a electric school bus grant and shall
accept applications on an annual basis. The State Board of

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Education shall establish procedures for submitting requests
for grants and issuing vouchers to approved applicants.
If the appropriation for grants under this Section for a
given fiscal year is less than the amount required to fund all
applications for grants, the State Board of Education shall
give priority to school districts designated as Tier 1 or Tier
2 pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of Section
18-8.15 of this Code that do not have any electric school
buses.
(e) The application for grants under this Section must
include the following information:
(1) the number of full size electric school buses, if
any, and full size fossil fuel-powered school buses the
school district currently possesses; and
(2) a plan detailing how the school district will
properly maintain, charge, and store the electric school
bus once purchased.
(f) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
necessary for the implementation of this Section.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.