Passage of a bill that remains alive at the Legislature would help to resolve the ongoing school bus shortage.

House Bill 862, which crossed over to the Senate and remains alive, would allow motor coaches, small buses and vans to take children to and from school. The legislation was prompted by the abrupt cancellation of bus routes just before the start of the past two schools years, sending thousands of children and their families scrambling.

Using alternative vehicles also bypasses the license requirements needed for traditional school buses.

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts postponed a vote on HB 862 until today.

It would allow smaller, alternative vehicles to be used to transport school children after the state Department of Education again notified 3,720 students and their families that it was suspending 108 bus routes through Central Oahu, parts of Maui and Hawaii island.

In August 2024, Gov. Josh Green for the second year in a row issued an emergency proclamation authorizing the use of alternative vehicles to transport students to help restore bus routes.

HB 862 seeks to make the authorization permanent.

A flurry of bills looking to fix the problem were introduced this legislative session, but only HB 862 remains alive.

Its companion, Senate Bill 1191, died.

HB 861, which sought to classify student transportation as a critical service for Hawaii’s public education, also failed to cross over to the Senate.

HB 683 and its companion, SB 864, aimed to fund permanent student transportation coordinator positions for each county, but also failed to advance.

Under HB 862, new safety rules and standards would be adopted by the state Department of Transportation.

DOT would regulate vehicle design and construction, driver qualifications and training, equipment requirements, regular safety inspections and maintenance.

Larry Veray, who chairs the Pearl City Neighborhood Board, submitted written testimony supporting HB 862.

“We should not leave any students behind,” he wrote.

Kaili Swan said in written testimony that HB 862 could be critical, especially for students with disabilities.

“I am in strong support of this bill because people with disabilities need affordable transportation to get from home to school,” Swan wrote.

“Please pass this bill.”

Also raising concern for disabled students was Daintry Bartoldus, the executive administrator for the Hawai‘i State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

“We urge thoughtful implementation to ensure that some of these newly authorized vehicles are designed to accommodate students with diverse mobility needs,” Bartoldus wrote in her testimony.

The CDD supports HB 862 but wants an amendment that would “include provisions requiring a portion of the new vehicles to be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.”

DOT officials also submitted testimony advocating for increased driver and vehicle flexibility.

“The HDOT supports this measure to meet the needs of students who need transportation to and from school,” they wrote.

All of the written testimony generated around HB 862 urged a solution to Hawaii’s perennial school bus shortages — but not everyone agreed on how.

Gabi Soderholm, operations manager at Soderholm Bus and Mobility, does not support the use of vehicles that aren’t federally recognized as legal school buses.

“This bill is in direct contradiction with Federal laws and guidelines,” Soderholm wrote.

Soderholm expressed frustration that more bills aren’t alive that would consider different approaches.

“The only bill that has been taken seriously is this, which we believe should not be the solution,” Soderholm wrote.

Soderholm worries that alternative vehicles won’t meet the same safety standards required of school buses.

“It puts kids in danger.”