# Clean Commute for Kids Act of 2024

This bill creates a federal program to help schools replace their old diesel buses with electric school buses. The Environmental Protection Agency will hand out grants and rebates to school districts, contractors, and other organizations that want to buy or lease zero-emission buses—basically buses that produce no exhaust pollution or greenhouse gases.

Who gets the money? School districts, charter schools, tribal schools, and nonprofits that operate school buses can apply for these grants. The bill also lets private contractors apply if they arrange financing for bus purchases. The EPA will prioritize funding for schools that serve low-income areas, rural communities, and neighborhoods with high concentrations of people of color. It also gives preference to schools in areas with poor air quality and those serving Native American students. Schools can self-certify whether they qualify as low-income or high-need, which makes the application process simpler.

Beyond just buying buses, the program covers the charging equipment and infrastructure needed to power electric buses. The bill requires applicants to show they've coordinated with their local electric utility and have plans to train bus drivers, mechanics, and first responders on how to operate and maintain these new vehicles. It also includes labor protections, ensuring workers on these projects earn prevailing wages and that existing public jobs won't be eliminated or outsourced.

The bill also requires bus manufacturers seeking to participate in the program to submit a "U.S. Jobs Plan" showing they'll pay good wages, provide training, and commit to hiring from underrepresented groups—including people with barriers to employment, veterans, and workers from low-income and minority communities. This aims to ensure that the shift to electric buses creates quality jobs, not just environmental benefits.