I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9733 
To establish the School Bus Driver Shortage Task Force to address the 
nationwide school bus driver shortage, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 
Mr. MCGARVEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish the School Bus Driver Shortage Task Force 
to address the nationwide school bus driver shortage, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘School Bus Driver 
Shortage Relief Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL SCHOOL BUS 
DRIVER SHORTAGE TASK FORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Edu-
cation, in consultation with the Secretary of Transpor-
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tation, shall establish within the Department of Education 
a task force, to be known as the ‘‘School Bus Driver 
Shortage Task Force’’ (in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘Task Force’’), to provide information and recommenda-
tions relating to increasing access to free, reliable, and 
high-quality transportation for students enrolled in public 
schools. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Task Force— 
(1) not later than 180 days after the establish-
ment of the Task Force, shall publish online, and 
distribute to State educational agencies and local 
educational agencies, an interim and accessible com-
pilation of resources, guidance, and evidence-based 
information for State educational agencies and local 
educational agencies containing best practices on 
how— 
(A) to increase access to free, reliable, and 
high-quality transportation for students enrolled 
in public schools; and 
(B) to address disparities or shortages in 
public school driver supply; 
(2) not later than 60 days after the establish-
ment of the Task Force, and at least once each cal-
endar quarter thereafter until the Task Force is dis-
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solved, shall recommend to the Secretary ideas for 
guidance and regulations related to— 
(A) increasing access to free, reliable, and 
high-quality transportation for students enrolled 
in public schools; and 
(B) addressing disparities or shortages in 
public school driver supply; and 
(3) shall submit the reports required under sub-
section (e). 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) NUMBER
AND
APPOINTMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall appoint not fewer than 10, and not more 
than 15, individuals to the Task Force, including the 
following: 
(A) At least 1 representative from the De-
partment of Labor. 
(B) At least 3 representatives from the 
Department of Transportation. 
(C) At least 2 representatives from labor 
unions which represent public school bus driv-
ers. 
(D) At least 1 representative from labor 
unions which represent public school faculty 
and staff. 
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(E) At least 1 representative from organi-
zations representing parents of students en-
rolled in a public school. 
(F) At least 1 representative from civil 
rights organizations. 
(2) TERMS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each member of the 
Task Force shall be appointed for a term of 2 
years or until the dissolution of the Task Force. 
The Secretary may reappoint members to the 
Task Force for such additional 2-year terms as 
the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(B) VACANCIES.—The Secretary shall fill a 
vacancy in the Task Force in the same manner 
as the original appointment not later than 30 
days after the date on which such vacancy oc-
curs. 
(3) BASIC PAY.— 
(A) RATES OF PAY.—To the extent or in 
the amounts provided in advance in appropria-
tion Acts, members of the Task Force shall 
each be entitled to receive the daily equivalent 
of the minimum annual rate of basic pay for 
grade GS–12 of the General Schedule for each 
day (including travel time) during which such 
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members are engaged in the actual performance 
of duties vested in the Task Force. 
(B) PROHIBITION OF COMPENSATION OF 
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Members of the Task 
Force who are full-time officers or employees of 
the United States may not receive additional 
pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their 
service on the Task Force. 
(4) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—Each member shall 
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions 
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(5) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 
the Task Force shall constitute a quorum. 
(6) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 
Task Force shall be elected by the members of the 
Task Force. The term of office of the Chairperson 
shall be 2 years. If the position of Chairperson be-
comes vacant, the members of the Task Force shall 
select a new Chairperson not later than 30 days 
after the date on which the position became vacant. 
(7) MEETINGS.—The Task force shall meet not 
less frequently than twice a quarter. 
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(8) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Task Force may 
form subcommittees, which shall meet as often as re-
quired. 
(d) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS; STAFF OF FED-
ERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) EXPERTS
AND
CONSULTANTS.—With the 
approval of the Task Force, the Chairperson may 
procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
(2) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon re-
quest of the Chairperson, the head of any Federal 
department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 
basis, any of the personnel of that department or 
agency to the Task Force to assist it in carrying out 
its duties under this Act. 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the first meeting of the Task Force, and 
not less frequently than once every 2 years there-
after or until the dissolution of the Task Force, the 
Task Force shall submit to the Secretary, to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Sen-
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ate, a report that includes the information in para-
graph (2). 
(2) REPORT REQUIREMENTS.—The reports sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall include each of the 
following: 
(A) The condition of public school trans-
portation in the United States, including any 
disparities in the supply of public school bus 
drivers on the basis of— 
(i) geographic location (or urban or 
rural status) of a public school or local 
educational agency; and 
(ii) demographic characteristics of en-
rolled students or their families, includ-
ing— 
(I) race and ethnicity; 
(II) foreign-born and English as 
a second language status; 
(III) income and wealth; 
(IV) age; and 
(V) disability status. 
(B) A root-cause analysis of the trends in 
the supply of public school bus drivers over the 
20-year period preceding the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
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(C) A comprehensive examination of com-
pensation for public school bus drivers includ-
ing— 
(i) salary or hourly earnings; 
(ii) offered hours of work per week; 
(iii) summer employment, or access to 
unemployment insurance; 
(iv) retirement savings; and 
(v) health care insurance. 
(D) Consideration of working conditions 
for public school bus drivers including— 
(i) student discipline and behavior; 
(ii) personal safety; and 
(iii) school bus temperatures and ven-
tilation. 
(E) Consideration of the impact of privat-
ization on the public school transportation sys-
tem. 
(F) Recommendations to address and al-
leviate any disparities or shortages in the sup-
ply of public school bus drivers identified under 
subparagraphs (A) through (E), including areas 
for executive action and areas for legislative ac-
tion at the Federal and State level, and guid-
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ance for State educational agencies and local 
educational agencies. 
SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT. 
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States, shall submit to Congress and make publicly avail-
able, a report that identifies recommended changes at the 
Federal executive and legislative levels to address any dis-
parities or shortages in the supply of public school bus 
drivers. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 
school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘parent’’, ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’, ‘‘Secretary’’, and ‘‘State educational 
agency’’ have the meanings given the terms in sec-
tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) 
PUBLIC
SCHOOL.—The 
term 
‘‘public 
school’’ means— 
(A) a public elementary school; and 
(B) a public secondary school. 
Æ 
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