HB 1505 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in preliminary provisions, providing for standardized testing study; in grounds and buildings, repealing provisions relating to lead testing and providing for lead testing; providing for school facilities; in certification of teachers, further providing for special education certificate grade spans and age levels and duties of department, for program of continuing professional and paraprofessional education, for continuing professional education for school or system leaders and for Pennsylvania school leadership standards, repealing provisions relating to permit for classroom monitors and providing for permit for classroom monitors; in pupils and attendance, further providing for attendance policy at charter, regional charter and cyber charter schools, providing for school district enrollee wellness checks and further providing for procedure when child is truant and for procedure upon filing of citation; in student supports, further providing for policy relating to bullying; in school safety and security, further providing for definitions, for School Safety and Security Grant Program, for school safety and security coordinator and for school safety and security training, providing for school safety and mental health grants for 2026-2027 school year, further providing for school safety and security coordinator training and for reporting and memorandum of understanding and providing for school mapping services; in school health services, further providing for health services and for reports and providing for eating disorder awareness and education; in terms and courses of study, providing for use of funds for implementing later school start times, further providing for flexible instructional days and for physical education, providing for recess periods, further providing for economic education and personal financial literacy programs and providing for social media literacy education; in early learning programs, further providing for definitions and for duties of approved providers; in high schools, further providing for attendance in other districts; in charter schools, further providing for enrollment, for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions, for enrollment and notification and for enrollee wellness checks; in disability inclusive curriculum, further providing for pilot program; in career and technical education, providing for temporary waiver; in community colleges, further providing for financial program and reimbursement of payments; in Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, further providing for individuals eligible for admission; in the State System of Higher Education, further providing for definitions and for Grow Pennsylvania Tuition Waiver Program; in institutions of higher education, further providing for definitions and for agency duties, providing for institution duties and further providing for report; in Ready-to-Succeed Scholarship, further providing for agency; in funding for public libraries, providing for State aid for fiscal year 2026-2027; in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for student-weighted basic education funding beginning with 2023-2024 school year and for extraordinary special education program expenses, providing for temporary assistance program and further providing for assistance to school districts declared to be in financial recovery status or identified for financial watch status and for Ready-to-Learn Block Grant; and, in construction and renovation of buildings by school entities, further providing for applicability.

HB 1505 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to clarify definitions related to early learning programs. The bill specifically updates terminology used in the existing law to better define what constitutes early learning programs within the state's educational framework. This change directly affects school districts, early learning providers, and state education agencies by providing clearer standards for program classification and reporting under the Public School Code. The bill focuses solely on refining definitions, not creating new programs or funding mechanisms.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Jul 2026
House Passage
Jul 2026
Senate Passage
Jul 2026
Signed into Law
Jul 2026
Introduced May 28, 2025 Signed Jul 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN1760 Printer's No. PN3764 · 6 edits
MODERATE
This bill significantly expands the list of sponsors and updates the bill's title to reflect Senate amendments passed in July 2026. The most substantive change is the repeal of an old lead testing requirement and its replacement with a new, stricter mandate starting in the 2026-2027 school year, which lowers the lead threshold for mandatory intervention from the EPA standard to 0.005 milligrams per liter. The bill also adds a new requirement for a comprehensive study on standardized testing and accountability by June 2027, while simultaneously repealing the permit for classroom monitors and modifying continuing professional education rules for teachers and school leaders.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include a new article on school facilities inventory and a standardized testing study, while the scope of lead testing requirements was narrowed in terms of trigger thresholds but widened in terms of enforcement strictness. The applicability of the classroom monitor permit program was removed entirely.
REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for a comprehensive study on standardized testing and accountability to be completed by June 9, 2027, covering costs, participation rates, and state comparisons.

Repealed the previous lead testing law and replaced it with a new section that lowers the lead contamination threshold for mandatory action from the EPA standard to 0.005 milligrams per liter, effective in the 2026-2027 school year.

Repealed the section allowing for a 'Permit for Classroom Monitors,' effectively ending that specific program.

Added a new requirement for school entities to submit a detailed public school facility inventory to the Department of Education by December 31, 2027.

TIMELINE

Updated the deadline for submitting special education certificate reports from March 1, 2019, to December 1, 2027.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the eligibility criteria for continuing professional education, adding provisions for maintaining active certification when moving to another state and updating definitions for professional educators.

Floor votes · Senate Jul 12, 2026 · House Jul 7, 2025

How they voted

455
Passed
Total votes 50
Jul 12, 2026
D Democratic23
23 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican27
22 Yea 5 Nay
81% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
24
Key actions
10
Committee
11
Amendments
1
Jul 12, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor
lower
Jul 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate amendments
lower
Jul 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Re-reported on concurrence, as committed
lower
Jul 12, 2026
Committee
Referred to Rules
lower
Jul 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
Jul 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Re-reported as amended
upper
Jun 24, 2026
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
upper
Jun 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported as committed
upper
Jul 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education
upper
Jul 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
Jul 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
Jul 1, 2025
Committee
Re-committed to Appropriations
lower
Jul 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
Jun 17, 2025
Committee
Re-committed to Rules
lower
Jun 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as committed
lower
May 28, 2025
Committee
Referred to Children & Youth
lower
1 primary · 28 co-sponsors

Sponsors