School buses travel over four billion miles each year, providing the safest transportation to and from school for
more than 25 million American children every day. However, diesel exhaust from these buses can contribute to air quality problems and has a negative impact on human health, especially for children, who have a faster breathing rate than adults and whose lungs are not yet fully developed. This funding to support low- and zero-emission vehicles that transport our nation’s children will benefit communities across the United States, especially communities that have been historically underserved. Schools bus fleets will benefit by using the newest and cleanest technologies available.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides $5 billion over five years (FY22-26) for the replacement of existing school buses with low and zero-emission school buses. Under the Clean School Bus Program, half of the available funding is dedicated for zero-emission school buses and half is for clean school buses.