HI HB861

Designates student transportation as critical infrastructure and critical service for Hawaii's public education system.

Changes the Department of Education's student transportation provision from discretionary ("may") to mandatory ("shall").

Requires all school bus contracts to include detailed annual contingency plans, performance metrics on driver availability and fleet capacity, and penalties for noncompliance.

Mandates contractors notify the department of anticipated service disruptions at least 30 days before school year start, with weekly updates during that period.

Requires the department to notify families of service changes within 5 business days and submit annual contractor performance audits to the legislature by day 20 of each regular session.