Bill > A5827

Introduced Session

This bill authorizes a board of education to use competitive contracting and enter into extended contracts and lease terms for electric school buses. The bill also permits the New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as a government aggregator to obtain electric school buses and related goods and services. Under current law a school district may utilize competitive contracting in lieu of public bidding for the procurement of certain listed specialized goods and services that exceed the bid threshold. This bill authorizes a board of education to utilize competitive contracting for the purchase of electric school buses, on-site charging infrastructure for electric school buses, and on-site or off-site related electric school bus and charging infrastructure operation and maintenance services, or any combination thereof. Current law permits a school district to enter into a contract for the leasing of school buses for a term not exceeding in the aggregate 10 years. The bill provides that a school district may enter into a contract for the leasing of electric school buses and related charging equipment and services for a term not in excess of the service life of the electric school bus. The bill also clarifies that the 10-year contract term limit continues to apply to fossil fuel school buses. Also under existing law, a school district may enter into a lease purchase agreement for the acquisition of a school bus for a term not in excess of 10 years. This bill extends the term of a lease purchase agreement in the case of electric school buses and related charging equipment and services to the service life of the electric school bus. The bill also clarifies that the 10-year lease purchase agreement term limit continues to apply to fossil fuel school buses. Finally, the bill amends the "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act," P.L.1999, c.23 (C.48:3-49 et al), to provide that the New Jersey School Boards Association may serve as a government aggregator to obtain electric school buses and related goods and services, including construction projects directly related to those goods and services either individually or in combination.

AI Summary

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Pam Lampitt (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 12/04/2023)

Official Document