RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; DONATING CERTAIN PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES TO THE NEW MEXICO WORKS PROGRAM.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of the New Mexico Works Act is enacted to read:

"SCHOOL BUSES--NEW MEXICO WORKS ACT.--

A. The state transportation director of the transportation division of the state department of public education shall identify any available school buses that have completed their twelve-year cycle and any other school bus that is no longer needed by a school district and donate them to the public transportation programs bureau of the state highway and transportation department pursuant to Section 13-6-1 NMSA 1978.

B. The state board of education shall encourage school bus contractors to donate or transfer school buses that have completed their twelve-year cycle and any other school bus that is no longer needed by the school bus contractor to the public transportation programs bureau.

C. The public transportation programs bureau shall:

(1) use donated school buses to transport participants enrolled in New Mexico Works Act programs to work-related activities;

(2) use transferred school buses in areas of the state that lack public transportation.