(a)The Department of Education shall:
(1)Develop a modernization grant application and application procedures for the Transportation Modernization Grant Program, including defining which public school districts are rural and remote, that require a grant applicant to explain how the grant applicant would use grant moneys to:
(A)Improve access to transportation for students attending a public school district, an open-enrollment public charter school, or a licensed childcare center serving publicly funded students; and (B) Support transportation innovations and efficiency solutions;
(2)Make final grant determinations and awards; and (3) Submit an interim report by December 15, 2023, and a final report by June 30, 2024, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House
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(a) The Department of Education shall: (1) Develop a modernization grant application and application procedures for the Transportation Modernization Grant Program, including defining which public school districts are rural and remote, that require a grant applicant to explain how the grant applicant would use grant moneys to: (A) Improve access to transportation for students attending a public school district, an open-enrollment public charter school, or a licensed childcare center serving publicly funded students; and (B) Support transportation innovations and efficiency solutions; (2) Make final grant determinations and awards; and (3) Submit an interim report by December 15, 2023, and a final report by June 30, 2024, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of State. (b) The reports required under subdivision (a)(3) of this section shall provide and describe: (1) The best practices used by grant recipients to transport students to public school districts, open-enrollment public charter schools, or licensed childcare centers serving publicly funded students who are located outside of traditional attendance boundaries; (2) A list of the grant recipients and the amounts and purposes of the grants; and (3) The number of children impacted per grant recipient. (c) The department may retain up to five percent (5%) of appropriated moneys to administer the program. (d) The department shall distribute the modernization grant moneys based on: (1) Demand; (2) The most innovative solutions proposed; and (3) Other relevant criteria as determined by the department. (e) (1) At least twenty-five percent (25%) of grants under this subchapter shall be awarded to support rural and remote public school districts. (2) Subdivision (e)(1) of this section shall not apply if an insufficient number of proposals from qualified rural and remote public school districts is submitted.