Padilla previously introduced the Clean Commute for Kids Act, legislation that would invest $25 billion to replace existing diesel buses with electric buses.
Invest $25 billion to replace existing diesel school buses with clean, American-made, zero-emission electric school buses.
Occurrences
Evidence
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Padilla said the bicameral Clean Commute for Kids Act would invest $25 billion to replace existing diesel school buses with electric buses and accelerate deployment of cleaner school buses.
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Congress.gov shows Sen. Padilla introduced S.1271 on 2021-04-21, with the latest action being read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works; the bill status is Introduced.
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EPA says the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models.
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Congress.gov identifies the enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as Public Law 117-58 and says Title XI establishes and expands programs related to clean school buses and ferries.
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Congress.gov shows Padilla and Warnock introduced S.5625 on 2024-12-19 and that it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works; the bill status is Introduced.
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EPA said on February 19, 2026 that it was revamping the Clean School Bus program and preparing a new funding opportunity, while describing the program as focused on consumer choice, oversight, and still fulfilling congressional intent.
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EPA states that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and clean school buses.
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EPA says the Clean School Bus Program remains a $5 billion FY 2022-2026 program and that it will provide additional information on the revamped 2026 grant opportunity later in 2026.
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EPA's awards page, last updated June 3, 2026, says the program provides $5 billion over five years and that returned funds may be rolled into future funding opportunities.
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EPA says the IIJA funded Clean School Bus vehicle replacement projects at $5 billion over FY2022-FY2026, with further 2026 funding still under development.
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Padilla introduced S.5625 and said it would authorize an additional $22 billion for zero-emission school bus fleet replacement.
Assessments
The promised $25 billion electric school bus replacement investment was not enacted. The federal Clean School Bus Program created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $5 billion over FY2022-FY2026 for zero-emission and clean school buses, which is a meaningful but much smaller and broader version of the promised outcome. Padilla introduced and later reintroduced Clean Commute for Kids legislation seeking the larger zero-emission school bus investment, so he made a serious legislative effort, but the full $25 billion commitment remains undelivered.
Padilla materially advanced the promise by introducing the Clean Commute for Kids Act in 2021 and again in 2024, both built around a $25 billion investment to replace diesel school buses with zero-emission electric buses. But neither bill became law. The enacted federal result was the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Clean School Bus Program, which funded $5 billion over FY2022-2026 for zero-emission and low-emission buses, well short of the promised $25 billion and broader than an all-electric replacement commitment. Because he made a serious legislative attempt but did not deliver the promised outcome, this is best scored as never, with credit for effort.
The full promise was not delivered: the enacted Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over FY2022-FY2026, far below the promised $25 billion, and it also covers zero-emission and clean/low-emission buses rather than only American-made zero-emission electric buses. However, a meaningful federal program to replace existing school buses was enacted during Padilla's Senate term, and Padilla also introduced and later reintroduced Clean Commute for Kids legislation seeking the full $25 billion. That supports partial credit, with an effort badge for the serious but unsuccessful legislative push to secure the full promised amount.
The promised $25 billion clean electric school bus investment was not enacted. Padilla introduced and later reintroduced the Clean Commute for Kids Act to provide that level of funding, but those bills did not advance beyond introduction/referral. However, during the same federal term Congress enacted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which created the Clean School Bus Program with $5 billion over FY2022-FY2026 for zero-emission and low-emission school bus replacements. That is a materially related but much smaller enacted outcome, so the promise receives partial credit rather than full delivery or complete failure.