Bill Text: TX SB799 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the installment of electric school buses and solar panels in Texas public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-07 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB799 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB799-Introduced.html
| By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 799 | |
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| relating to the installment of electric school buses and solar | ||
| panels in Texas public schools. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| ARTICLE 1: FINDING AND PURPOSE | ||
| SECTION 1.01. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. The | ||
| legislature finds that: | ||
| (1) The legislature is committed to ensuring federal | ||
| funding and state resources are equitably allocated to prevent a | ||
| disaster such as Winter Storm Uri from occurring once again. | ||
| (2) The legislature equally commits to reviewing and | ||
| utilizing efficient methods such as battery storage and | ||
| dispatchable energy, to the best of its ability to ensure all Texas | ||
| residents have access to energy in the case of another state | ||
| disaster. | ||
| (3) The legislature finds that public school | ||
| facilities are in a unique position because of the hours of | ||
| operation to serve as an energy storage facility. Solar panels can | ||
| be installed on these public schools and electric school buses may | ||
| be reliable form for energy to be stored, distributed, and reserved | ||
| daily and/or dispatched in case of an emergency. | ||
| (4) The legislature is committed to appropriating | ||
| funds to assist in the updated infrastructure of our public schools | ||
| and to ensure the reliability of the Texas grid. | ||
| (5) The federal government has created new programs | ||
| and tax credits allowing public schools to benefit from the use of | ||
| electric school buses and clean energy measures such as solar | ||
| panels. These benefits include nearly $5 billion dollars to replace | ||
| school buses with electric models. Additionally, there are at least | ||
| 51 Texas projects amounting to $164 million that have been | ||
| waitlisted, demonstrating a strong interest and need for assistance | ||
| in applying for these methods. | ||
| (6) The legislature understands that in a state of | ||
| disaster public schools may be able to serve as an emergency shelter | ||
| because of the storage generated by the electric school buses and | ||
| solar panels on public schools. | ||
| ARTICLE 2: USE OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL | ||
| QUALITY OFFICE | ||
| SECTION 2. Sec. 447.002. and 447.003., Government Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 447.002. INFORMATION; PROCEDURES AND RULES; MEASURES | ||
| AND PROGRAMS. (a) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | ||
| office shall develop and provide energy and water conservation | ||
| information for the state. | ||
| (b) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality office | ||
| may establish procedures and adopt rules relating to the | ||
| development and implementation of energy and water conservation | ||
| measures and programs applicable to state buildings and facilities. | ||
| (c) A procedure established or a rule adopted under | ||
| Subsection (b) may include provisions relating to: | ||
| (1) the retrofitting of existing state buildings and | ||
| facilities with energy-saving or water-saving devices; |
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| (2) the energy-related or water-related renovation of | ||
| those buildings and facilities; and | ||
| (3) assistance to public school districts to submit | ||
| applications for federal and state funding for the installation | ||
| and purchase of electric school buses and solar panels in public | ||
| schools. | ||
| Sec. 447.003. LIAISON TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The Texas | ||
| Commission on Environmental Quality is the state liaison to the | ||
| federal government for the implementation and administration of | ||
| federal programs relating to state agency energy matters. The | ||
| office shall administer state programs established under: | ||
| (1) Part D, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation | ||
| Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6321 et seq.), and its subsequent | ||
| amendments; | ||
| (2) Part G, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation | ||
| Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6371 et seq.), and its subsequent | ||
| amendments; and | ||
| (3) other federal energy conservation programs | ||
| including the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure | ||
| Investment and Jobs Act, and other state sources of funding as | ||
| assigned to the office by the governor or the legislature. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
