Protecting the health and well-being of our state’s children is a paramount responsibility, and one important way to do this is to ensure that all kids’ buses are pollution-free. Kids deserve to ride safely in zero-emission school buses instead of dirty, polluting diesel ones.
Please support HB 1368. It is so important for our state to make sure all school buses are pollution-free, as diesel harms our kids’ health. Cutting tailpipe pollution is also associated with improved performance at school. Electric school buses already on the road in Washington have received rave reviews, and the demand is so high that less than 3 percent of federal funding requests for clean school buses were granted. The Legislature can step in and support our schools and our kids in this critical transition.
As it passed the House, HB 1368 outlines a transition to zero-emission school buses in a fiscally responsible way. Once zero-emission buses are cheaper to own and operate than diesel buses, they should be the default for new bus purchases. Other states have taken these steps to protect kids and there is no reason why Washington should be behind.
