Section 25-7-1403 - Electrifying school buses grant program - creation - eligibility(1)(a)(I) The electrifying school buses grant program is created to allow a school district, charter school, or nonprofit partner acting on behalf of a school district or charter school to apply to the department for grant money to help finance: (A) The procurement and maintenance of electric-powered school buses, the conversion of fossil-fuel-powered school buses to electric-powered school buses, charging infrastructure, and electrical upgrades necessary to support charging infrastructure;(B) The retirement of fossil-fuel-powered school buses; and(C) The school district's or charter school's administrative costs associated with such procurements, conversions, maintenance, or retirements, including any up-front administrative costs associated with developing and implementing a proposal for the procurements, conversions, maintenance, or retirements.(II) The department shall administer the grant program, and the office shall provide technical assistance for the grant program as needed. The department of education may provide up to one-half of one full-time equivalent employee to assist with the grant program by providing technical assistance to school districts and charter schools with respect to applying for grant money and implementing projects awarded grant money.(b) The department shall establish an application process for school districts, charter schools, and nonprofit partners acting on behalf of school districts or charter schools to apply for money under the grant program and: (I) Post information about the grant program application process, including any application forms that the department develops for the grant program, on its website; and(II) Share the grant program application process information with the department of education, which department shall post the information on its website.(2) The department shall develop: (a) Criteria for awarding grant money, which criteria must include:(I) Giving priority to school districts and charter schools:(A) Located in or attended by students living in disproportionately impacted communities;(B) Located in nonattainment areas; or(C) At which at least a certain percentage of students, as determined by the department, receive free or reduced-price lunches under a school lunch program; and(II) A requirement that, as a condition of receiving a grant award, grantees retire or convert at least a certain percentage of their fossil-fuel-powered school buses, retire or convert their fossil-fuel-powered school buses in a certain manner, or both;(b) Periodic reporting requirements for a grantee to demonstrate that the money awarded is being used in compliance with this part 14; and(c) Procedures for addressing a grantee's noncompliance with this part 14, including procedures for reimbursement of money awarded.(3) The department may use up to eight percent of the money in the fund to cover the direct and indirect costs the department incurs in administering the grant program.Added by 2022 Ch. 300,§3, eff. 6/2/2022.