Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that increases purchases of electric school buses.

Highlights:

• Requires the Maine Department of Education to endeavor to meet a goal of transitioning the public school bus fleet to 100% all-electric school buses by 2040 (Sec. 1-15-A).

• Establishes, through the Department of Education, an electric school bus training program to train school bus mechanics to repair and develop maintenance plans for electric school buses, train school bus drivers to operate electric school buses, and train school transportation directors (Sec. 2-15-B).

• Authorizes the Department of Education to set aside a percentage of available resources for the purchase of electric small school buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, as replacements in or additions to the school bus fleet, in the 2020 request for proposals as allowed by state and federal rules and regulations (Sec. 3).

• Expands transportation administration staff through coordination with the following (Sec. 4):

• The Department of Transportation;

• Law enforcement agencies, firefighting agencies and other first responders regarding safety issues; and

• The Public Utilities Commission and utilities in the State regarding electric school bus energy dispatching issues.

• Amends the State's uniform school bus specifications to reflect updates to national school transportation specifications and ensures that the State's specifications include provisions for small and large electric school buses and other appropriate school vehicles (Sec. 5-3).

Full Bill Text