S 6257: Provides that contract cost adjustments in the middle of contract terms for school districts transportation contracts shall be at no additional cost to the state, locality or school district unless such amendment is necessary to comply with the statewide transition to zero-emission buses and provided that it has been established by the contractor that there has been at least an equivalent increase in the amount of such contractor's cost of operation.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6257 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 7, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to contract cost adjust- ments in the middle of contract terms for school districts transporta- tion contracts The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph d of subdivision 14 of section 305 of the educa- 2 tion law, as added by chapter 552 of the laws of 1995, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 d. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs a, b and c of this 5 subdivision, the board of education or the trustee of a district and a 6 contractor providing pupil transportation services to such district may 7 amend a contract for pupil transportation services upon a finding that 8 such amendment is necessary to comply with any federal, state or local 9 law, rule or regulation imposed after the execution of such contract, or 10 to enhance the safety of pupil transportation, as determined by the 11 board or trustee subject to the approval of the commissioner pursuant to 12 regulations which shall require demonstrable enhancements in pupil safe- 13 ty and/or increased savings consistent with maintaining pupil safety. 14 Such amendment shall cause no additional cost to the state, locality or 15 school district unless such amendment is necessary to comply with the 16 statewide transition to zero-emission buses pursuant to section thirty- 17 six hundred thirty-eight of this chapter and provided that it has been 18 established by the contractor that there has been at least an equivalent 19 increase in the amount of such contractor's cost of operation. The 20 commissioner shall not approve such an amendment if the commissioner 21 finds that it circumvents the competitive bidding requirements contained 22 in paragraph a of this subdivision, or otherwise violates this section 23 or any other provision of law, or fails to increase or maintain the 24 safety of pupil transportation. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09134-01-5 
 S. 6257 2 1 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that 2 the amendments to paragraph d of subdivision 14 of section 305 of the 3 education law made by section one of this act shall not affect the expi- 4 ration and repeal of such paragraph and shall be deemed repealed there- 5 with.