Congressmembers request extra funding for clean school buses

U.S. Reps. Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Toney Cardenas (D-CT) and U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) are requesting $300 million in additional funding for zero-emission school buses.

In a letter to Michael Regan, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, and Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Congress members requested that the money be added to President Joe Biden’s 2024 budget request as part of the Clean School Bus Program. The Congress member said school buses make up nearly 90 percent of the nation’s bus fleet and represent the largest form of mass transit in the country. The additional funding, they said, would allow school districts to replace diesel buses.

“With more than 400,000 diesel buses still on the road, there is more work to be done,” the letter said. “Each day, more and more schools are learning about the health, fiscal, and resiliency benefits of investing in zero-emission school buses, and they are ready to make the transition away from diesel. It is our duty to ensure reliable resources and technical expertise are consistently available to help the schools make this transition, especially in our most overburdened communities.”

The lawmakers previously pushed for the creation of the $5 billion Clean School Bus Program as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In their letter, the group applauded the Biden Administration’s commitment to replacing diesel school buses with cleaner, healthier, zero-emission ones.

Over five years, the Clean School Bus Program will provide at least $2.5 billion for zero-emission school buses. In its first round of funding, the EPA received more than 2,000 applications for the initial $500 million available. In an effort to meet the $4 billion demand, EPA doubled the award amount, giving nearly $1 billion to 400 school districts across the country.

“Given the strong demand for zero-emission school buses, we seek to work with the Administration to fulfill its commitment to the children of this country by including additional resources for zero-emission school buses in its FY 2024 Budget Request under the Clean School Bus Program,” the letter said. “