NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — Should New Mexico schools get on board with the switch to electric buses? Advocates are now lobbying lawmakers to change the rules around how schools can spend money for new buses. "I am a mother of two; I raised my children in Albuquerque, and every day in their elementary school years I walked my kids to school and had to walk by diesel buses idling," said Giovanna Rossi, a New Mexico consultant for Moms Clean Air Force, "I've seen the health impacts on our kids, and that's why I'm here today." Making their case to state lawmakers, advocates with groups like Moms Clean Air Force and the American Lung Association are pushing to make it easier for schools to veer away from diesel-powered buses. "New electric buses are going to be rolling into towns across the country, and we want New Mexico to benefit from these cleaner buses, cleaner air, and a healthier ride to school," Rossi said. Story continues below News: Two New Mexico inmates accused of trying to smuggle drugs into prison, court documents state Events: What’s happening around New Mexico November 1-7 Community: New Mexico Strange: Prominent Ghost Stories in Albuquerque's Old Town Citing health concerns from carcinogens in diesel exhaust: "Children are particularly vulnerable because they breathe more air per pound of body mass and their bodies are still developing," Rossi explained. Additionally, there are fears over environmental impact: "Electric school buses also are a climate solution that will contribute to reducing climate change," said Shelley Mann-Lev, executive director of Healthy Climate New Mexico; Supporters said switching to electric school buses would offer kids a quieter ride: "Students and drivers, we know enjoy a quieter and smoother ride due to reduced vibration and noise. Kids arrive at school more calm and ready to start the day," Rossi said. They're proposing a policy shift for the Public Education Department (PED) that would allow districts the option to use state dollars on electric or zero-emission school buses. Right now, the districts get around $140,000 per bus, and while advocates note the average electric school bus costs around $400,000, they said it will be cheaper in the long run: "Maintenance costs, there is no comparison," Mann-Lev stated. Advocates said there are two thousand school buses in New Mexico, and so far, at least 30 of them are fully electric in big and small communities including Las Cruces and Lake Arthur.