TX SB1345

Establishes a 20-member public school transportation task force to study and recommend ways to modernize school transportation in Texas, with members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house, and commissioner of education

Task force membership includes parents from rural, suburban, and urban districts; school transportation directors; special education directors; charter school representatives; a private prekindergarten provider; a school bus driver association representative; after-school program representatives; public transportation providers; and school district CFOs

Requires the Texas Education Agency to provide data on student eligibility criteria, transportation utilization patterns, staffing levels and driver vacancies, fleet diversification costs (including electric vehicle transition), and discrepancies between eligible and actual riders

Task force must study transportation barriers to school choice, funding improvements under Section 48.151, potential partnerships with public/private transportation providers, career pathways in school transportation, and competitive salary packages to recruit drivers

First meeting required by October 1, 2025; report with findings and legislative recommendations due by December 1, 2026; task force expires September 1, 2027