Bipartisan Bill Would Extend EPA Clean School Bus Program Through 2031, Backing Electric Buses

Electric School Buses Reduce Pollution, Lower Costs, and Improve Student Wellbeing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, members of the Alliance for Electric School Buses (AESB) applaud Representatives Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Buddy Carter (GA-1), and Greg Landsman (OH-01) for introducing a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives to reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program for another five years.

To date, the Clean School Bus Program has awarded $2.6 billion to over 1,100 school districts across 49 states and multiple Tribes and territories to replace existing school buses with more than 8,000 new low- or zero-emission school buses. Established by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the program was originally allocated $5 billion for 5 years through Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. New legislation would extend the program through FY2031.

Members and partners of the Alliance for Electric School Buses — including Chispa, Earthjustice Action, Electric School Bus Newsletter, Environmental Law & Policy Center, It’s Electric! (Michigan), the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Maryland League of Conservation Voters — Chispa Maryland (Maryland LCV), Moms Clean Air Force, Mothers Out Front, New York League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice issued the following statement in response:

“Investing in clean school buses means investing in our nation’s children — in their ability to get to and from school without breathing in diesel fumes that trigger asthma attacks, harm brain development, lower test scores, and cause school absences. This is especially valuable for students from overburdened communities who suffer disproportionately from pollution burdens.

“Electric school buses can make our schools and communities more resilient. They improve air quality, reduce operating costs, and through vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) can even send energy back to the grid — lowering energy costs across the grid. Drivers love the quiet, smooth ride and how it improves student behavior, especially students with special needs, who benefit from a calmer environment.

“It’s no wonder thousands of school districts have applied to the Clean School Bus Program, requesting more than $7.7 billion to modernize their fleets. The program’s popularity has led the EPA to nearly double amounts offered each round, yet demand remains strong.

“We applaud Reps. Hayes, Carter, and Landsman for working across the aisle to continue this popular, successful program that’s already delivering results. We urge Congress to reauthorize the Clean School Bus Program and help more children breathe cleaner air.”

About the Alliance for Electric School Buses: We are a diverse partnership of nonprofit organizations united by our commitment to fully transition the nation’s school bus fleet to electric models that will clean up the air 25 million children breathe. Our coalition represents over two dozen environmental, equity, community, and labor groups who work at the local, state, and federal levels.