Section 25-7-1401 - Legislative declaration(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.Added by 2022 Ch. 300, § 3, eff. 6/2/2022.