39800.1.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a pupil attending a public, noncharter school that receives Title 1 federal funding shall be entitled to free transportation to and from school, if either of the following conditions are met:(1) The pupil resides more than one-half mile from the school.
(2) The neighborhood through which the pupil must travel to get to school is unsafe, as defined by the plan established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), which may include factors, including, but not limited to, stray dogs, lack of sidewalks, known gang activity, presence of environmental problems and hazards, required crossings of freeways or busy intersections, or other reasons documented by stakeholders in the plan developed pursuant to subdivision (c).
(b) (1) A school district not currently providing transportation to all pupils attending schools that receive Title 1 federal funding shall implement a plan to ensure that all pupils entitled to free transportation pursuant to subdivision (a) receive the transportation.
(2) The plan shall identify and accommodate the special rights of homeless youth, as defined pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.).
(c) The plan required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall be developed with the consultation of teachers, school administrators, regional local transit authorities, local air districts, the Department of Transportation, parents, pupils, and other stakeholders.
(d) If free, dependable, and timely transportation is not already available to pupils entitled to transportation services pursuant to this section, the school district shall ensure that the pupils entitled to the transportation are provided free transportation.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (f), transportation provided pursuant to this section shall be provided by a public employee.
(f) A school district may partner with a municipality owned transit system to provide the transportation provided pursuant to this section to middle school and high school pupils if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) All drivers are public employees of a municipality owned transit system as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 39800.
(2) The municipality owned transit system can certify that the transit system can ensure consistent, adequate routes and schedules to enable pupils to get home, to school and back, and does not charge the school district more than marginal cost for each transit pass.
(3) Nothing in this section would prevent a local transportation agency from providing no-cost transit passes to pupils attending Title 1 schools.
(g) All transportation provided pursuant to this section shall be reimbursed by the Transportation and Access to Public School Fund created pursuant to Section 39800.2.