This bill allocates state funding to four Pennsylvania universities - the Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University - for the fiscal year 2026-2027. It establishes that payments will be made monthly based on estimated costs submitted by each university, and requires these institutions to maintain detailed records of how funds are spent. The Auditor General is tasked with reviewing expenditure reports, auditing spending against permitted purposes, and recovering any misused funds. Additionally, the bill places specific restrictions on how the University of Pittsburgh may use its appropriation, prohibiting funds for an environmental law clinic and limiting usage to instruction and student-related services.
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 bill requires Pennsylvania schools to offer optional hunting and trapping education courses to students in grades six through twelve by July 1, 2027. The program must include firearm safety instruction taught by certified instructors, covering topics like safe handling and maintenance, while strictly prohibiting actual firearms or ammunition from entering school buildings. Parents can request to excuse their children from these classes without penalty, and completing the course satisfies the state's basic hunter-trapper education requirement for obtaining a hunting license.
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 2544 updates Pennsylvania's Public School Code to establish a formal framework for negotiating compensation and benefits plans for school administrators, including principals and assistant principals. The bill requires school boards to meet with administrators in good faith to create written agreements covering salary schedules, fringe benefits, and performance evaluation processes. These agreements must remain in effect for at least one school year but no longer than five, and they include a nonbinding mediation step for resolving disputes before potential legal appeals. The legislation applies to all public school entities in the state and maintains existing restrictions on strikes while clarifying the definitions of administrative roles and employer responsibilities.
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.
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 1077 establishes the Commission on Children's Vision within Pennsylvania's Department of Education and Department of Health to address children's vision care needs. The commission will develop statewide plans and low-cost programs for vision screenings, follow-up exams, and glasses for students who need them, while coordinating with local vision care providers. It must issue annual reports by December 31 detailing program achievements, trends in unmet vision care needs, and recommendations for improving access. The commission, composed of state education/health officials and 12 vision care professionals, will not receive compensation but will receive administrative support from the departments. This bill directly affects Pennsylvania schoolchildren requiring vision care and the state departments responsible for health and education services.
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.
