This bill grants school administrators in Pennsylvania's first-class cities and school districts the right to engage in collective bargaining with their employers. It allows these administrators to negotiate terms regarding pay, working hours, benefits, and dispute resolution through designated representatives. The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will handle any disagreements about these bargaining items using the same process applied to other public employees. The changes apply immediately upon the bill's enactment.
This Pennsylvania bill establishes a temporary program allowing businesses to receive tax credits for donations to scholarship and educational improvement organizations. The legislation sets specific annual spending limits for these credits, which are available only for fiscal years before 2027-2028, and creates a new restricted account to track the funds. It also defines various terms related to the program, including assessments and business firms, while assigning oversight duties to several state departments.
HB 2084 establishes the Pennsylvania Promise Program, providing scholarships for tuition, fees, and room and board to eligible Pennsylvania residents attending college. It directly affects two groups: students under 24 (or active military) who must be Pennsylvania residents, have a high school diploma, and complete the FAFSA; and adult learners 24 or older seeking reeducation with similar requirements. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency administers the program and a dedicated fund, covering tuition up to the state's maximum in-state rate and room and board based on agency standards. The program applies to community colleges, state-owned institutions, state-related universities, and Thaddeus Stevens College.
HB 1045 requires Pennsylvania school nurses and other school staff with direct student contact to complete Department of Health-approved training on seizure recognition and first aid starting in the 2025-2026 school year, with training required every two years thereafter. The bill mandates specific content about identifying seizures, using seizure action plans, and providing basic first aid. It also clarifies that school staff providing seizure-related care are protected from civil liability under existing Good Samaritan laws (42 Pa.C.S. §§ 8332 and 8337.1). This bill directly affects all public school staff in Pennsylvania who work with students and aims to improve emergency response for students with seizure disorders.
SB 375 repeals a requirement that schools provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for staff every three years. Instead, it mandates that Pennsylvania schools obtain and maintain automated external defibrillators (AEDs) - heart rhythm shock devices - by requiring 2.5% of annual school safety funding to be used for purchasing AEDs and related training. The bill establishes an AED program requiring school staff to complete AED and CPR training through approved organizations like the American Heart Association, and it defines AEDs as portable devices that restore heart rhythm during cardiac arrest. This law directly affects all public and nonpublic schools in Pennsylvania, shifting focus from mandatory staff CPR training to AED availability and use.
This bill repeals the Pennsylvania Medical Education Loan Assistance Program, which previously provided financial incentives to students pursuing medical, nursing, biomedical, and life sciences education. The program allowed eligible students to access loans with favorable terms, including low interest rates and fees, to encourage them to practice medicine or nursing in Pennsylvania, particularly in underserved areas. By removing this legislation, the state will no longer administer this specific loan assistance program for medical education.
HB 2218 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to require all school entities (including districts, charter schools, cyber charters, and career schools) to develop and implement a written comprehensive school counseling plan. The bill mandates that each plan, created by certified school counselors, must include annual reviews, K-12 systemic alignment, grade-level and building-specific strategies, and integration with existing student services plans. Key provisions define "direct services" (like individual counseling and classroom instruction) and "indirect services" (such as parent consultations), requiring plans to guide students in academic, career, and social-emotional development. The law establishes specific components for the plan - foundation, management, delivery, and accountability - without specifying funding or new programs.
HB 2176 would require Pennsylvania public and nonpublic schools to integrate social media literacy into their curriculum. The bill mandates that state academic standards include specific lessons on social media's mental, psychological, and physical impacts on students, its effects on learning, safe online behavior (including identifying cyberbullying and predatory activity), and personal device security. The Department of Education must develop educational materials and provide professional development for teachers on these topics. This bill directly affects all Pennsylvania schools, including public school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools, by adding concrete requirements to student learning standards.
This bill requires Pennsylvania public schools to adopt or update a bullying policy that includes clear disciplinary consequences for bullying incidents and designates a staff member to handle reports. Schools must notify parents within five days of a bullying or cyberbullying incident while following federal privacy laws. The policy may also include prevention and intervention programs, and the bill clarifies that bullying involves repeated, severe acts in a school setting that disrupt education or create a threatening environment. Cyberbullying is specifically defined as bullying occurring via electronic devices during school hours.
HB 1706 requires Pennsylvania schools to integrate student mental health awareness into existing health education standards and school operations. It mandates the State Board of Education to update health standards, the Department of Health and Education to develop public guidelines on mental health warning signs for students and families, and schools to notify students and parents twice yearly about local mental health services. The bill also requires school entities to report student absences or injuries in activities to student assistance programs and directs the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to add mental health training to coach certification by the 2025-2026 school year. This bill directly affects all public, private, and parochial schools in Pennsylvania, their students, families, and athletic staff.
