Assemblywoman Soria’s EV-School Bus Extension Bill Approved by Education Committee

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria’s EV School Bus Extension Bill(AB 1111),passed through the Assembly Education Committee today. 

AB 1111 seeks to address challenges that local educational agencies (LEAs) face in adopting zero-emission school buses by the state mandated deadline of 2035. AB 1111 extends the deadline to 2045 for small rural school districts, adds infrastructure challenges and fire risks to the list of existing exemptions, and provides flexibility to an existing school bus scrapping program. 

“This is a huge win for our small and rural communities. Our school districts across the state already face several challenges, especially now in 2025 with federal funding being ripped away,” Soria said. “At the same time, these districts are trying to figure out how to adopt zero-emission school bus fleets by 2035. As someone who represents rural school districts throughout the Central Valley, the existing timelines are simply not practical. These rural districts don’t have the resources, capacity, or infrastructure to meet these state-mandated requirements.” 

Despite attempts to accommodate challenges to the adoption of zero-emission school bus fleets, many hurdles have remained unaddressed. A recent survey of superintendents found that many faced challenges including cost, increased maintenance, and lack of charging infrastructure, along with existing electrical infrastructure not supporting new charging stations. 

“Assemblywoman Soria has authored AB 1111 to address the shortcomings in existing legislation that set an impractical timeline for electric vehicle adoption,” said California School Boards Association (CSBA) President Bettye Lusk. “While a number of school districts and county offices of education are embracing the transition to zero-emission school busses, many others face significant barriers to their adoption. Performance across a range of topography and climate conditions, infrastructure and utility challenges, safety concerns, and cost, are all issues that need to be addressed. AB 1111 acknowledges the reality of electric vehicles and establishes a 10-year grace period from the 2035 zero-emission vehicle purchasing mandate, creating an opportunity for the technology to catch up to the demands of this large and diverse state.”

AB 1111 will be heard next by the Transportation Committee. Stay tuned on our website and social media handles for the most updated information on our current legislation. 

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Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria represents the 27th Assembly District which includes communities in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties.