1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; authorizing regional pupil transportation centers;proposing 
1.3 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 123B; 179A.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [123B.881] REGIONAL PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
1.6 		Subdivision 1.Definition. For the purposes of this section, "board" means the 
1.7 	cooperative pupil transportation center board.
1.8 		Subd. 2.Creation. Intermediate District No. 287, Hennepin and Wright counties, 
1.9 	may enter into an agreement to establish a cooperative organization to provide pupil 
1.10 	transportation services upon a majority vote of the school board. When a resolution 
1.11 	authorizing the creation of a cooperative pupil transportation organization has been 
1.12 	adopted by the board of the district, the resolution shall be published once in a newspaper 
1.13 	of general circulation in the district.
1.14 		Subd. 3.Name. A public corporation created under subdivision 2 shall be known 
1.15 	as .... (insert name) .... cooperative pupil transportation center no. .... and shall have an 
1.16 	identification number assigned according to section 123A.56.
1.17 		Subd. 4.Governing board. (a) The cooperative pupil transportation center must be 
1.18 	operated by a center board of at least three members. The center board shall consist of 
1.19 	school board members from the participating district and appointed by the school board. 
1.20 	The board must choose an administrative officer who shall serve as an ex officio nonvoting 
1.21 	member of the board to administer board policy and directives.
1.22 	(b) The terms of office of the first members of the board must be distributed 
1.23 	among one-, two-, and three-year terms. Thereafter, the terms shall be for three years 
2.1 	commencing on July 1 of each year. If a vacancy occurs on the board, it must be filled by 
2.2 	the school board within 90 days.
2.3 	(c) The board must choose its officers and conduct any other necessary organizational 
2.4 	business. The board must meet at least annually as is practicable pursuant to notice sent to 
2.5 	all board members by the chief executive officer of the board.
2.6 	(d) The board shall elect officers. As is applicable, sections 123B.09, 123B.14, 
2.7 	123B.143, and 123B.147 shall apply to the board and officers of the center.
2.8 		Subd. 5.Center board powers and duties. (a) The board shall have the general 
2.9 	charge of the business of the center and the ownership of facilities. The board may not 
2.10 	issue bonds on its behalf. The district may issue bonds for the purpose of acquisition and 
2.11 	betterment of center facilities in the amount certified by the center board to the district in 
2.12 	accordance with chapter 475 without an election at a public or private sale.
2.13 	(b) The board may furnish pupil transportation services to any student residing in or 
2.14 	attending school in the district.
2.15 	(c) In accordance with subdivision 6, paragraph (b), the board shall certify to 
2.16 	each participating district the amount of funds assessed to the district required for the 
2.17 	conduct of the pupil transportation services, payment of indebtedness, and all other proper 
2.18 	expenses of the center.
2.19 	(d) The board may employ and discharge necessary employees and may contract for 
2.20 	other necessary services.
2.21 	(e) The board may establish fees according to sections 123B.34 to 123B.39 for pupil 
2.22 	transportation services not otherwise required by statute.
2.23 		Subd. 6.Financing. (a) A board established under this section is a public 
2.24 	corporation and agency and may receive and disburse federal, state, and local funds made 
2.25 	available to it. A participating school district or member must not have any additional 
2.26 	individual liability for the debts or obligations of the center except that assessment which 
2.27 	has been certified under paragraph (b) and subdivision 5, paragraphs (a) and (c). A 
2.28 	member of the board shall have liability as is applicable to a member of an independent 
2.29 	school district board. Any property, real or personal, acquired or owned by the board for 
2.30 	its purposes shall be exempt from taxation by the state or any of its political subdivisions.
2.31 	(b) The district shall remit its assessment to the board within 30 days after receipt. 
2.32 	The assessments shall be paid with a levy of each participating district.
2.33 		Subd. 7.Laws governing independent school districts apply. The center shall be 
2.34 	governed by the general laws relating to independent school districts of the state unless 
2.35 	provided otherwise in statute.
3.1 		Subd. 8.Dissolution. The school board of Intermediate District No. 287 may agree 
3.2 	to dissolve a center effective at the end of a school year or at an earlier agreed upon 
3.3 	time. A dissolution must be accomplished in accordance with applicable provisions of 
3.4 	the agreement establishing the center. Upon receipt of the dissolution resolution from the 
3.5 	school board of the district, the center board shall file a certified copy with the county 
3.6 	auditors of the counties affected. The dissolution must not affect the continuing liability 
3.7 	of the district for bonded indebtedness incurred prior to the dissolution, or for other 
3.8 	continuing obligations, including unemployment benefits.
3.9 		Subd. 9.Revenue. A cooperative pupil transportation center may be eligible for 
3.10 	revenue under sections 123B.92 and 124D.87.
3.11 		Subd. 10.Transfer of assets. A school district that is a member of a cooperative 
3.12 	pupil transportation center may transfer or rent school buses or other assets to the center. 
3.13 	The center must determine the value of the transferred assets and must deduct these 
3.14 	amounts from a district's assessments under subdivision 6.
3.15 		Subd. 11.Employee representation. The pupil transportation center board shall 
3.16 	meet and negotiate with the exclusive representative of regional school bus units under 
3.17 	section 179A.105.

3.18 	Sec. 2. [179A.105] SCHOOL BUS UNIT.
3.19 		Subdivision 1.Unit. Regional school bus units consist of school bus drivers, school 
3.20 	bus maintenance workers, clerical workers, administrative workers, and technical workers 
3.21 	assigned to school bus duties.
3.22 		Subd. 2.Transition. The commissioner of the bureau of mediation services shall 
3.23 	apply the processes and provisions governing the court employee unit transition provided 
3.24 	in section 179A.102 to the transition to a new bargaining unit structure for the regional 
3.25 	school bus units. Subsequent to the initial certification and decertification, if any, the 
3.26 	provisions of section 179A.102 do not apply.

3.27 	Sec. 3. AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS.
 3.28 	A school district may contract for school bus services. The contract may extend for 
3.29 	the term of any debt or obligation issued by the cooperative pupil transportation center. The 
3.30 	center may pledge such contracts as a source or repayment of its bonds and obligations.