Senate Bill 462 (SB 462) Implementation: Transportation Funding During Disaster Declaration

Senate Bill (SB) 462, passed during the 87^th Regular Texas Legislative Session, was signed into law on June 14, 2021, by Governor Abbott. This is the first implementation notice sent to districts. 

This letter is to inform you about the reporting requirements necessary to receive funding for transporting meals and instructional materials to students during a declared disaster. 

SB 462 amended Texas Education Code (TEC) §48.151(h) and added Subsection (n). The amendment to (h) added language that states, “Transporting a meal or instructional materials as provided by Subsection (n) is included in transportation services under this subsection.” In Subsection (n) the Legislature added language specifying that for the duration of a declared disaster, a school district located in an area that is wholly or partly the subject of a disaster declaration by the governor under Chapter 418, Government Code, or by the president of the United States may be reimbursed on a per-mile basis for the cost of transporting a meal or instructional materials to a student’s residence or to another location, designated by the district, for pick up by the student. 

SB 462 takes effect September 1, 2021, which will affect the 2021-2022 school year. All Texas counties are currently under two disaster declarations. As the governor reviews the need for the declarations on a monthly basis, districts will be responsible for checking the status of the governor’s declarations each month during the 2021-2022 school year before reporting mileage for this purpose. 

Mileage eligible for reimbursement under this SB 462 for the 2021-2022 school year will be reported by districts on the Route Services Report that opens in the summer of 2022. In order to accurately report and receive funding for any mileage that is eligible due to delivery of meals or instructional materials, it will be necessary for districts to complete turn-by-turn route descriptions for each route that is driven to make those deliveries and to keep track of the miles driven for that purpose. For reporting purposes, we ask that the route description be distinguished in some manner to indicate that it is a disaster route. 

Districts will receive funding based on the rate per mile per regular student set by the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act. That rate is currently $1.00 per mile. 

If you have any questions related to this correspondence, please contact Oscar Ayala in the Division of State Funding by phone at (512) 463-4834 or by email at schtrans@tea.texas.gov. 

Sincerely, 

Amy Copeland Director of State Funding