An act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in preliminary provisions, further providing for Special Education Funding Commission and for minimum number of days or hours; in duties and powers of boards of school directors, providing for admission fees for school-sponsored activities; in intermediate units, further providing for staff; in certification of teachers, further providing for certificates qualifying persons to teach and for instructional certificate grade spans and age levels and duties of department, providing for instructional certificate grade spans and age levels and for State certificate fee reduction, further providing for standard employment application, for career and technical instructional certificate, for program of continuing professional and paraprofessional education and for postbaccalaureate certification, providing for assessment of basic skills, further providing for professional educator discipline fee and providing for career and technical administrative director certification flexibility; in pupils and attendance, further providing for attendance policy at charter, regional charter and cyber charter schools, for procedure when child is truant, for procedure by school when child habitually truant, for procedure upon filing of citation, for penalties for violating compulsory school attendance requirements and for study of truancy procedure, providing for department supports to prevent truancy and further providing for reports to Superintendent of Public Instruction and for exceptional children and education and training; in student supports, further providing for definitions; in school safety and security, further providing for definitions, for School Safety and Security Committee, for school safety and security assessment providers, 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 2025-2026 school year and further providing for reporting and memorandum of understanding; in school security, further providing for training, for school resource officers, for school security guards and for duties of commission; in Safe2Say Program, further providing for intent, for definitions, for Safe2Say Program and for annual report; in threat assessment, further providing for definitions, for threat assessment teams and for threat assessment guidelines, training and information materials; in Drug and Alcohol Recovery High School Program, further providing for scope of program and selection of students and for enrollment of students; in evidence-based reading instruction, further providing for definitions and providing for school entity duties related to evidence-based reading instruction, for school entity duties related to reading screening, for reading deficiency identification and parental notification, for reading intervention plans, for grant program, for funding, for reporting, for accountability and for construction; in high schools, further providing for attendance in other districts and providing for Free Application for Federal Student Aid; in interscholastic athletics accountability, further providing for council recommendations and standards; in charter schools, further providing for funding for cyber charter schools, for enrollment and notification and for enrollee wellness checks; in career and technical education, further providing for capital reserve fund for approved purchases of equipment and facility maintenance, for career and technical education equipment grants, for Cosmetology Training through Career and Technical Center Pilot Program and for Barber Training through Career and Technical Center Pilot Program; providing for Nursing Shortage Assistance Program; in community colleges, further providing for financial program and reimbursement of payments; in the State System of Higher Education, further providing for definitions and for Grow Pennsylvania Merit Scholarship Program; in educational tax credits, further providing for limitations; in higher education accountability and transparency, further providing for exit counseling; in miscellaneous provisions relating to institutions of higher education, repealing provisions relating to State-related university performance-based funding model, further providing for prohibition on scholarship displacement at public institutions of higher education and providing for cooperation and for State scholarship renewals; in institutions of higher education, further providing for powers and duties of State Board of Higher Education, for definitions, for Performance-based Funding Council and for public institution of higher education reporting, providing for State-related University Performance Fund, for performance-based funding formula and for public accountability and further providing for agency duties, for grant priority and for report; in Ready-to-Succeed Scholarship, further providing for agency; in funding for public libraries, providing for State aid for fiscal year 2025-2026; in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for student-weighted basic education funding beginning with 2023-2024 school year, for extraordinary special education program expenses, 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; in construction and renovation of buildings by school entities, further providing for applicability; abrogating regulations; and making an editorial change.
SB 315 amends Pennsylvania's 1949 education code to update school funding, safety, and instructional requirements. It establishes new school safety grants, updates teacher certification standards, and strengthens truancy prevention measures for all public and charter schools. The bill adds funding for career and technical education equipment, expands mental health support through school safety programs, and modifies higher education scholarship rules. As Act No. 47 of 2025, it became law on November 12, 2025, affecting students, teachers, school districts, and higher education institutions statewide.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Nov 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Nov 2025
Signed into Law
Nov 2025
Introduced Feb 26, 2025
Signed Nov 12, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
Printer's No. PN1307
→
Printer's No. PN1310
·
2 edits
MINOR
This version of the bill updates the document's metadata to reflect a new printer's number (PN 1310) and corrects the Senate amendment date from November 11 to November 12, 2025. The primary substantive change is the removal of a large, complex SVG image containing a chart or diagram that was present in the previous version, likely to streamline the text or remove visual elements not needed in the final printed bill.
TECHNICAL
The document header was updated to reflect the new printer's number (PN 1310) and the Senate amendment date was corrected to November 12, 2025.
A large, complex SVG image (chart or diagram) embedded in the text was removed, likely to simplify the document or eliminate unnecessary visual elements.
Floor votes · Senate Apr 2, 2025 · House Oct 8, 2025
How they voted
49–0
Passed
Total votes 49
Apr 2, 2025
D
Democratic22
100% Yea
R
Republican27
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
29
Key actions
13
Committee
11
Amendments
4
Nov 12, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor
lower
Nov 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate amendments to House amendments
lower
Nov 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported on concurrence, as committed
lower
Nov 12, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules
lower
Nov 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in House amendments, as amended by the Senate
upper
Nov 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended on concurrence
upper
Nov 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Re-reported on concurrence, as amended
upper
Oct 20, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules & Executive Nominations
upper
Oct 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
Oct 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as amended
lower
Oct 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended in House Committee on Appropriations
lower
Jun 25, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
lower
Jun 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as committed
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Re-reported as committed
upper
Mar 26, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported as committed
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education
upper
1 primary · 11 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Lynda Culver
RRepublican
Co
Cris Dush
RRepublican
Co
Frank Farry
RRepublican
Co
James Malone
DDemocratic
Co
Jay Costa
DDemocratic
Co
Judy Schwank
DDemocratic
Co
Lindsey Williams
DDemocratic
Co
Pat Stefano
RRepublican
Co
Rosemary Brown
RRepublican
Co
Tina Tartaglione
DDemocratic
Co
Tracy Pennycuick
RRepublican
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