Georgetown University Student Association Vice President Jason Kluger (MSB ’11) announced Sunday that funding has been restored for the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle weekend bus service, after a severe shortage in reserves was discovered late last spring.

The funding for the weekend GUTS buses, which operate via Abe’s Transportation, came from a significant pledge last year by the GUSA Fund and a new influx of money that was originally set aside for the College Readership Program. Kluger said GUSA used the newly available money supply to finish off the funding for the weekend buses only after the readership program was discontinued due to a lack of financial support from other sources.

“That doesn’t mean [the readership program] is dead. It’s one of those issues I want to dive into with the [Student Activities Fee and Endowment] funds,” Kluger said.

According to Kluger, sufficient funds remain to relaunch the weekend GUTS bus service this coming weekend, once GUSA has followed through with the Center for Student Programs and Abe’s Transportation regarding the signing of the contract.

The financial backing for weekend GUTS buses will only last through this semester, however.

“In the short run, we put the money toward the GUTS buses for this semester so that the students don’t foot the bill for something the entire Georgetown community uses,” Kluger said.

He said he hopes for future collaboration with the administration in the spring, when new plans for funding the GUTS buses must be finalized.

At their meeting Sunday afternoon in Healy Hall, GUSA also unanimously passed the Ad-Hoc Recommendations Enactment Amendments (AREA) Act, a move to boost efficiency in the student association.

The AREA Act is a reform bill intended to enact the recommendations of the Speaker’s Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee on GUSA Continuity and Efficacy, which convened last spring.

Committee chairman and former GUSA Speaker Adam Talbot (COL ’12) described the AREA Act as the end product of a six-month review to enhance the institutional strength of the senate. “Most importantly, this act will extend to the other committees of the senate the same tools that make Finance and Appropriations such a powerful mechanism for realizing the general student interest,” Talbot said

The committee was comprised of Talbot, Senate Speaker Adam Mortillaro (COL ’12), Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13), Colton Malkerson (COL ’12), and then-Sen. Geraldine Miranda (SFS ’13). The task force also included representatives from various student organizations such as

ask & Bauble, Georgetown Emergency Medical Response Service, Philodemic Society and International Relations Club.

Tenets of the bill focus on elevating the senate body’s efficiency. Some of these elements include increasing the number of committee members from five to seven, allowing the Student Life Committee to absorb the Housing, Facilities and Technology Committee as well as expanding the Ways and Means Committee to include committee progress evaluation and oversight.

According to Gustafson, “One of the most important parts of the Area Act bill is making more people available to each committee to get stuff done.”

Gustafson also said that it was a good idea to make the Community Building and Outreach Committee responsible for alumni outreach and communication.

For the GUTS bus issue at the meeting, Kluger concluded, “I don’t think students should have to pay for something that everyone [in the Georgetown community] can use.”