HB1094: HB1094 Georgia School Bus Safety and Modernization Act; enact

Georgia currently reimburses local school districts for student transportation costs through a formula set by the State Board of Education, but the bill's findings say that formula does not keep up with rising costs, aging buses, or a shortage of drivers. HB 1094 would let the state cover up to 100 percent of a district's projected transportation costs, remove the current rule that regular bus routes must be fully funded before other trips like field trips, and require the state to work with districts and factor in health insurance costs when setting those cost schedules twice a year. The bill also raises the state's minimum monthly salary for bus drivers from $500 to $2,000, expands who counts as a transported student to include kids who live within 1.5 miles of school but cannot safely walk there, and creates a statewide database tracking bus age, mileage, and fuel type. It sets up a grant program, funded if the General Assembly appropriates money, to help districts buy or lease vehicles, add GPS and safety cameras, install ADA-compliant equipment, and convert buses to cleaner fuel, prioritizing districts with older buses, more special-needs students, or longer bus routes.

• Changes the school transportation funding formula so the state can cover up to 100 percent of a district's projected transportation costs, instead of a lower capped share.
• Removes the requirement that regular bus routes be fully funded before money goes toward field trips and other non-regular transportation.
• Raises the state's minimum monthly salary for school bus drivers from $500 to $2,000 for 12 months of work.
• Adds the cost of health insurance to the list of factors the state must consider when calculating district transportation costs.
• Expands eligibility for transportation funding to students living within 1.5 miles of school who cannot safely walk due to unsafe sidewalks, crossings, or similar hazards.
• Creates a statewide school vehicle database, a vehicle replacement schedule for buses over 12 years old or 200,000 miles, and a grant program for vehicle purchases and safety upgrades.

Local school districts (called local units of administration) and their boards of education, school bus drivers, students who ride buses (especially those with special needs or unsafe walking routes), the State Board of Education and Department of Education, and taxpayers who fund state education appropriations.

Districts could receive more state money for transportation and gain a dedicated grant program to replace old buses and add safety equipment like GPS trackers and cameras. Bus drivers would see a higher guaranteed minimum salary, and more students, including those on unsafe walking routes, could qualify for bus service funding.

• Section 2 lists legislative findings, including that many districts use buses older than 15-20 years and face a statewide shortage of bus drivers due to low pay.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-188 so the state funds up to 100 percent of a district's projected transportation costs and removes the priority given to fully funding regular routes first.
• Section 3 requires the Department of Education to update the cost-factor schedule twice a year, by March 1 and November 1, and publish it on its public website.
• Section 3 raises the uniform minimum monthly salary for school vehicle drivers from $500 to $2,000 and extends transportation eligibility to students within 1.5 miles who cannot safely walk to school.
• Section 4 creates new O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1129, establishing a statewide database of school vehicle age, mileage, and fuel type.
• Section 4 sets a vehicle replacement schedule targeting buses over 12 years old or with more than 200,000 miles.
• Section 4 creates a grant program, subject to state appropriations, covering vehicle purchase or lease, GPS and safety camera systems, ADA-compliant equipment, and clean fuel conversions, prioritized for districts with the oldest buses, the most special-needs students, or the longest average travel distances.

1. 2026-02-03House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-02House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-29House Hopper (House)

• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)Primary sponsor
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)

• school bus safety
• school transportation funding
• bus driver pay
• education funding
• school bus replacement grants