HB 1910 creates a state-funded grant program to provide school supplies directly to public school educators. It amends the Public School Code of 1949 to establish the "School Supplies for Educators Grant Program," which will distribute state funds to cover essential classroom materials like paper, pens, and art supplies. The program specifically targets educators in public schools, ensuring they have access to necessary supplies for their classrooms. This policy change shifts funding responsibility from individual schools or teachers to a centralized state grant system.
SB 1039 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to enhance student supports and school safety. It creates a new Pennsylvania Mental Health First Aid Training Program for school staff and updates the School Safety and Security Grant Program to fund safety improvements. The bill directly affects public schools, teachers, and students by requiring mental health training for staff and providing grant opportunities for school safety projects. These changes aim to improve student well-being and school safety infrastructure through concrete program additions.
SB 631 requires Pennsylvania schools to obtain annual written consent from parents or guardians before providing virtual mental health services (such as online counseling or AI-based support) to students under 18. It mandates schools to create a clear consent form detailing the services offered, which must be signed each year. The law applies to all school entities, including public, charter, cyber, and private schools, and takes effect July 1, 2025. This policy directly affects students and parents by shifting decision-making authority for virtual mental health services from schools to families.
HB 1653 creates competitive grants to help nonprofit early childhood organizations and public school districts establish or expand child-care centers in rural Pennsylvania counties with low population density (under 291 people per square mile). The grants fund facility costs like construction or renovation, and provide two years of salary supplements to ensure child-care staff earn comparable pay to public school teachers. Recipients must partner with local businesses to cover some child-care fees for employees, aiming to maintain staffing levels after the grant period ends. This bill directly supports rural communities facing childcare shortages by making it financially feasible to open or grow quality early childhood programs.
HB 341 requires Pennsylvania public schools to install certified point-of-use filters on all drinking water outlets by January 1, 2027, and replace older fountains without filters with bottle-filling stations or filtered fountains (at least one per 100 students/staff). It establishes a $10 million annual Safe Schools Drinking Water Fund to provide grants for filter installation and fountain replacement, prioritizing schools built before 2014 and those serving prekindergarten students. The bill also mandates schools to publicly report their compliance plans, filter maintenance schedules, and lead risk information online, while new outlets must meet strict lead-leaching standards (NSF 61). This directly affects all Pennsylvania public school entities, focusing on reducing lead exposure in drinking water.
SB 982 amends Pennsylvania's education code to establish new requirements for preventing and responding to bullying and cyberbullying in public K-12 schools. It requires all school entities (including districts, charter schools, and cyber charters) to adopt or revise anti-bullying policies by July 1 of the year after the law takes effect, including confidential reporting, 24-hour parent notifications for confirmed incidents, and 3-day investigation timelines. Schools must designate a bullying response coordinator, provide age-appropriate prevention education in existing curricula, and train staff every three years. The bill mandates annual anonymized data reporting on incidents through the Safe2Say Program and requires the Department of Education to develop a model policy within 120 days. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.
HB 1121 allows private providers of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services to work with students who have autism or developmental delays during school hours, as specified in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Schools must permit this access without charging fees or creating barriers, provided parents give written consent and the services align with the student’s IEP. Private providers must coordinate with school staff, hold required certifications, and be supervised by a nationally certified behavior analyst. The bill requires schools to accommodate these services without disrupting classrooms and prohibits discrimination or retaliation against families using private pay services.
This bill requires Pennsylvania's Department of Education to create and distribute a "student bill of rights" to all off-campus students at accredited colleges and universities in the state. The bill outlines specific tenant protections, including the right to habitable housing, privacy, a hearing before eviction, and reasonable accommodations for disabilities. Institutions must also provide students with an online course about housing rights, which students must complete within their first semester (or pay a $50 fee for non-completion). The law applies to all public and private higher education institutions in Pennsylvania and takes effect January 1, 2026.
SB 858 (Pennsylvania's Public School Code amendment) allows military-connected children to enroll in Pennsylvania schools before their family establishes residency. It requires military families to provide proof of intent to move (like a lease or home purchase contract) and to confirm residency within 45 days of their military transfer date. Schools must accept previously earned credits and grades for GPA calculations when military students transfer between districts. This directly affects military families relocating within Pennsylvania, ensuring smoother educational transitions during reassignments.
SB 974 establishes a grant program within Pennsylvania's Department of Education to fund public colleges and community education councils that offer dual credit courses to high school students. The program prioritizes institutions expanding access for underserved groups, including rural students, low-income students, career and technical education participants, and those experiencing education instability. Grants require recipients to report annual data on students earning college credits through these partnerships and their post-graduation college enrollment, with this information made publicly available online. The bill directly affects public higher education institutions, community education councils, and high school students participating in dual credit programs.
