PETITION OF:

By Mr. Kocot of Northampton, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 486) of Peter V. Kocot relative to school bus funding and student safety. Education.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to school bus funding and student safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 7A of Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended in line two by striking the following:—

“...subject to appropriation...”.

SECTION 2. Section 7A of Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:—

“(a) no reimbursement for transporting a pupil who is thirteen years of age or older at the start of the school year, between school and home, shall be made on account of any pupil who resides less than one mile from the school which he attends, measured by a commonly traveled route that has sidewalks along its entire distance;”.

SECTION 3. Section 71A of Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking said section and inserting the following:—

“Section 71A. The state treasurer shall annually, on or before November

twentieth, pay to the several towns the sums required as reimbursement for expenses approved by the commissioner of education, incurred by any town for the construction and maintenance of highway safety stations for children awaiting a school bus; provided, that such locations have been approved by the superintendent or as his designee, the school transportation officer, and provided, further, that the number of highway safety stations in each of the several towns shall be determined by regulations promulgated by said commissioner in consultation with the Massachusetts Police Chiefs Association, the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.”