,i  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #igcc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bj1      
#bjbd,mr4 ,mc,garvey introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,education and the    
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish the
 ,school ,bus ,driver ,shortage ,task   
,force to address the nationwide school 
bus driver shortage1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short ,title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,school ,bus ,driver
 ,shortage ,relief ,act4  #b4           
,establishment of a ,national ,school   
,bus ,driver ,shortage ,task ,force  7a7
 ,in ,general ,not later than #fj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,education1 in  
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,transportation1 shall establish within 
the ,department of ,education a task    
force1 to be known as the ,school ,bus  
,driver ,shortage ,task ,force 7in this 
,act referred to as the ,task ,force71  
to provide information and              

recommendations relating to increasing  
access to free1 reliable1 and           
high-quality transportation for students
 enrolled in public schools4  7b7       
,duties ,the ,task ,force-- 7#a7 not    
later than #ahj days after the          
establishment of the ,task ,force1 shall
 publish online1 and distribute to      
,state educational agencies and local   
educational agencies1 an interim and    
accessible compilation of resources1    
guidance1 and evidence-based information
 for ,state educational agencies and    
local educational agencies containing   
best practices on how-- 7,a7 to increase
 access to free1 reliable1 and          
high-quality transportation for students
 enrolled in public schools2 and  7,b7  
to address disparities or shortages in  
public school driver supply2  7#b7 not  
later than #fj days after the           
establishment of the ,task ,force1 and  
at least once each calendar quarter     
thereafter until the ,task ,force is    
dissolved1 shall recommend to the       

,secretary ideas for guidance and       
regulations related to-- 7,a7 increasing
 access to free1 reliable1 and          
high-quality transportation for students
 enrolled in public schools2 and  7,b7  
addressing disparities or shortages in  
public school driver supply2 and  7#c7  
shall submit the reports required under 
subsection 7e74  7c7 ,membership  7#a7  
,number and appointment ,the ,secretary 
shall appoint not fewer than #aj1 and   
not more than #ae1 individuals to the   
,task ,force1 including the following3  
7,a7 ,at least #a representative from   
the ,department of ,labor4  7,b7 ,at    
least #c representatives from the       
,department of ,transportation4  7,c7   
,at least #b representatives from labor 
unions which represent public school bus
 drivers4  7,d7 ,at least #a            
representative from labor unions which  
represent public school faculty and     
staff4  7,e7 ,at least #a representative
 from organizations representing parents
 of students enrolled in a public       

school4  7,f7 ,at least #a              
representative from civil rights        
organizations4  7#b7 ,terms  7,a7 ,in   
general ,each member of the ,task ,force
 shall be appointed for a term of #b    
years or until the dissolution of the   
,task ,force4 ,the ,secretary may       
reappoint members to the ,task ,force   
for such additional #b-year terms as the
 ,secretary determines appropriate4     
7,b7 ,vacancies ,the ,secretary shall   
fill a vacancy in the ,task ,force in   
the same manner as the original         
appointment not later than #cj days     
after the date on which such vacancy    
occurs4  7#c7 ,basic pay  7,a7 ,rates of
 pay ,to the extent or in the amounts   
provided in advance in appropriation    
,acts1 members of the ,task ,force shall
 each be entitled to receive the daily  
equivalent of the minimum annual rate of
 basic pay for grade ,,gs-#ab of the    
,general ,schedule for each day         
7including travel time7 during which    
such members are engaged in the actual  

performance of duties vested in the     
,task ,force4  7,b7 ,prohibition of     
compensation of ,federal employees      
,members of the ,task ,force who are    
full-time officers or employees of the  
,united ,states may not receive         
additional pay1 allowances1 or benefits 
by reason of their service on the ,task 
,force4  7#d7 ,travel expenses ,each    
member shall receive travel expenses1   
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 in accordance with         
applicable provisions under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7#e7 ,quorum ,a majority
 of the members of the ,task ,force     
shall constitute a quorum4  7#f7        
,chairperson ,the ,chairperson of the   
,task ,force shall be elected by the    
members of the ,task ,force4 ,the term  
of office of the ,chairperson shall be  
#b years4 ,if the position of           
,chairperson becomes vacant1 the members
 of the ,task ,force shall select a new 
,chairperson not later than #cj days    

after the date on which the position    
became vacant4  7#g7 ,meetings ,the     
,task force shall meet not less         
frequently than twice a quarter4  7#h7  
,subcommittees ,the ,task ,force may    
form subcommittees1 which shall meet as 
often as required4  7d7 ,experts and    
consultants2 staff of ,federal agencies 
7#a7 ,experts and consultants ,with the 
approval of the ,task ,force1 the       
,chairperson may procure temporary and  
intermittent services under section     
#caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code4  7#b7 ,staff of ,federal agencies
 ,upon request of the ,chairperson1 the 
head of any ,federal department or      
agency may detail1 on a reimbursable    
basis1 any of the personnel of that     
department or agency to the ,task ,force
 to assist it in carrying out its duties
 under this ,act4  7e7 ,reports  7#a7   
,in general ,not later than #a year     
after the date of the first meeting of  
the ,task ,force1 and not less          
frequently than once every #b years     

thereafter or until the dissolution of  
the ,task ,force1 the ,task ,force shall
 submit to the ,secretary1 to the       
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce of the ,house of             
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,health1 ,education1 ,labor and         
,pensions of the ,senate1 a report that 
includes the information in paragraph   
7#b74  7#b7 ,report requirements ,the   
reports submitted under paragraph 7#a7  
shall include each of the following3    
7,a7 ,the condition of public school    
transportation in the ,united ,states1  
including any disparities in the supply 
of public school bus drivers on the     
basis of-- 7i7 geographic location 7or  
urban or rural status7 of a public      
school or local educational agency2 and 
7ii7 demographic characteristics of     
enrolled students or their families1    
including-- 7,i7 race and ethnicity2    
7,,ii7 foreign-born and ,english as a   
second language status2  7,,iii7 income 
and wealth2  7,,iv7 age2 and  7,v7      

disability status4  7,b7 ,a root-cause  
analysis of the trends in the supply of 
public school bus drivers over the      
#bj-year period preceding the date of   
enactment of this ,act4  7,c7 ,a        
comprehensive examination of            
compensation for public school bus      
drivers including-- 7i7 salary or hourly
 earnings2  7ii7 offered hours of work  
per week2  7iii7 summer employment1 or  
access to unemployment insurance2  7iv7 
retirement savings2 and  7v7 health care
 insurance4  7,d7 ,consideration of     
working conditions for public school bus
 drivers including-- 7i7 student        
discipline and behavior2  7ii7 personal 
safety2 and  7iii7 school bus           
temperatures and ventilation4  7,e7     
,consideration of the impact of         
privatization on the public school      
transportation system4  7,f7            
,recommendations to address and         
alleviate any disparities or shortages  
in the supply of public school bus      
drivers identified under subparagraphs  

7,a7 through 7,e71 including areas for  
executive action and areas for          
legislative action at the ,federal and  
,state level1 and guidance for ,state   
educational agencies and local          
educational agencies4  #c4 ,government  
,accountability ,office report ,not     
later than #b years after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states1 shall submit to ,congress and  
make publicly available1 a report that  
identifies recommended changes at the   
,federal executive and legislative      
levels to address any disparities or    
shortages in the supply of public school
 bus drivers4  #d4 ,definitions ,in this
 ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea terms ,the terms     
elementary school1 local educational    
agency1 parent1 secondary school1       
,secretary1 and ,state educational      
agency have the meanings given the terms
 in section #haja of the ,elementary and
 ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74  7#b7 ,public    

school ,the term public school means--  
7,a7 a public elementary school2 and    
7,b7 a public secondary school4