For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
NJ Legislature Votes To Fund $15 Million in FY24 Budget to Electric School Bus Program
Trenton - Today, a crucial electric school bus appropriations bill, A4716/S3044, passed both the Assembly and Senate floor. This bill appropriates the much needed $15 million to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from the FY2024 General Fund to support the first year of the Electric School Bus Program in New Jersey, and concurs with Gov. Murphy’s Conditional Veto issued on November 27.
This bill was on a tight deadline in order to be posted this session and before the end of the calendar year, and today’s votes officially mark its passage just in time so the NJDEP can begin the program early in 2024.
“We are incredibly happy to see the supplemental appropriation for our electric school bus program finally make its way into law so our residents can finally see these electric school buses put into service throughout our State. This funding represents a real improvement in the lives of our State’s Students who will come to know the smell of diesel in the morning as the smell of a time long passed. I applaud all of my fellow sponsors and all those advocates who helped bring this important piece of legislation to fruition and I look forward to continuing to work to make sure all of our state’s students breathe a little easier,” said Assemblyman Sterley Stanley (D-East Brunswick).
“I am proud to have sponsored this legislation and funding which will advance this essential initiative,” said Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-South Plainfield).
“The New Jersey Sierra Club is extremely pleased to see this legislation moving forward, and the step away from dirty diesel buses that endanger our public health and environment. We cannot afford to wait any longer for cleaner and safer rides to school for New Jersey children,” said New Jersey Sierra Club Chapter Director, Anjuli Ramos-Busot. “Electric school buses are here and they are the future, and we thank the New Jersey legislature and Governor Murphy for taking the necessary action to kickstart our transition toward clean transportation options in the education system.”
“This generation of kids should be the last generation that gets a toxic daily dose of diesel fumes on the way to school every morning. More than 15 years ago, New Jersey voters overwhelmingly supported a ballot question to clean up dirty diesel school buses. Back then, we didn’t have any other option. Today, states around the country are leading the way to make the transition to electric school buses. Diesel emissions seep into the cabin of existing school buses and into the lungs of our children. It’s time to protect our kids’ health and our air quality by taking the first step to electrification. We thank Sen. Diegnan and Asm. Stanley’s leadership on this legislation to finally start New Jersey’s electric school bus pilot program and welcome actions from the Murphy Administration to get this program rolling in early 2024,” said Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey.
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.