North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 6 D cosponsors

SB 612 — Convert School Buses to Electric by 2050.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 6 sponsors

    2 primary, 4 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (6 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

8 added · 9 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to Senate Bill 612 includes additional lines that clarify the bill's title and session year, ensuring that it reflects the current legislative session. It also removes outdated filing information and codes, which is important for keeping the legislative record accurate and up-to-date. These changes help lawmakers and the public understand the context and relevance of the bill.

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FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Mar 25, 2025 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 612 Short Title:
612 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS45322-NHa-59 Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO CONVERT THE SCHOOL BUS FLEET TO ELECTRIC BUSES BY 2050 AND TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM TO ASSIST SMALL COUNTIES IN CONVERTING ACTIVITY BUSES TO ELECTRIC.
Rules and Operations of the Senate March 26, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO CONVERT THE SCHOOL BUS FLEET TO ELECTRIC BUSES BY 2050 AND TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM TO ASSIST SMALL COUNTIES IN CONVERTING ACTIVITY BUSES TO ELECTRIC.
(3) The number of applications that were not funded and the amount it would cost to fully fund all applications." *DRS45322-NHa-59* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 3.
(3) The number of applications that were not funded and the amount it would cost to fully fund all applications." *S612-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 3.
Page 2 DRS45322-NHa-59
Page 2 Senate Bill 612-First Edition
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How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

Compared against the N.C. General Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill mandates that all new school buses purchased by local school administrative units be electric by the 2026-2027 school year and establishes a grant program to assist small counties in converting activity buses to electric.

  • G.S. 115C-249

    (a1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, any new school bus purchased shall be electric, whether purchased as a replacement or an additional bus purchase. By the end of the 2049-2050 school year, local school administrative units shall ensure all buses it operates are electric.

    This new subsection requires all newly purchased school buses to be electric starting in 2026, leading to a complete transition of the school bus fleet to electric by 2050.

  • G.S. 115C-472.23

    § 115C-247.1. Electric activity bus grant program. (a) Program, Purpose. – To the extent funds are made available for the purpose, the Department of Public Instruction shall establish and administer the Electric Activity Bus Grant Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to assist local boards of education in purchasing new or replacement activity buses that run on electricity. (b) Eligibility. – Any local school administrative unit that is eligible for small county school system supplemental funding under G.S. 115C-472.23 is eligible to apply for a grant under the Program. (c) Application. – Local school administrative units may apply to participate in the Program pursuant to a process to be established by the Department of Public Instruction. (d) Awards. – In evaluating applications, the Department shall prioritize awarding grants to local school administrative units that have not previously received a grant through the Program. The Department shall issue awards in an amount sufficient to cover up to fifty percent (50%) of the purchase price of an electric bus. Local school administrative units shall use funds awarded pursuant to the Program for the purchase of electric activity buses or the purchase or installation of electric bus charging equipment. (e) Report. – No later than February 15 of each year in which funds are made available for the Program, the Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on at least the following information: (1) The local school administrative units that received awards under the Program and the amount received. (2) The total number of applications for the Program. (3) The number of applications that were not funded and the amount it would cost to fully fund all applications.

    This new section creates a grant program to assist small county school systems in purchasing electric activity buses, promoting the transition to electric vehicles.

  • There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of three hundred fifty million dollars ($350,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to the school bus replacement fund to assist with the purchase of electric school buses as required by Section 1 of this act.

    This appropriation provides significant funding to support the transition to electric school buses.

  • There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated through the Electric Activity Bus Grant Program established by Section 2 of this act.

    This appropriation allocates additional funds to support the grant program for converting activity buses to electric.

Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 173 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (173)

173 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

environment transportation education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 612?
SB 612 is sponsored by Joyce Waddell (Democratic), Natalie S. Murdock (Democratic), Julie Mayfield (Democratic), Gladys A. Robinson (Democratic), Michael Garrett (Democratic), and Graig Meyer (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 612?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 612?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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