California Education Code 39803.5 – (a) Notwithstanding Section 39803 or any other law, this section …
(a) Notwithstanding Section 39803 or any other law, this section shall apply to the furnishing of transportation of pupils in local educational agencies to and from school using schoolbuses that are zero-emission vehicles and for the lease or rental of schoolbuses that are zero-emission vehicles.
(b) If a continuing contract for the furnishing of transportation of pupils in local educational agencies to and from school is made, it shall be made for a term not to exceed 15 years. A contract is renewable at the option of the local educational agency and the party contracting to provide transportation services, jointly, at the end of the term of the contract. The contract as renewed shall include all of the terms and conditions of the previous contract, including any provisions increasing rates based on increased costs.
Terms Used In California Education Code 39803.5
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
(c) A continuing contract may be made for the lease or rental of schoolbuses, not to exceed 15 years, except that if a lease or rental contract provides that the local educational agency may exercise an option either to purchase the buses or to cancel the lease at the end of each annual period during the period of the contract, the contract may be made for a term not to exceed 20 years.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a continuing contract executed under this section may be negotiated annually within the contract period when economic factors indicate negotiation is necessary to maintain an equitable pricing structure. Renegotiation is subject to the approval of both contracting parties.
(e) Any rental, lease, or lease-purchase of a schoolbus shall comply with all applicable provisions of Article 3 (commencing with Section 17450) of Chapter 4 of Part 10.5 of Division 1 of Title 1.
(f) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(g) This section is effective January 1, 2024.
(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 445, Sec. 3. (AB 579) Effective January 1, 2024.)