HB 2491 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to update rules regarding student transportation for public and charter schools. The bill clarifies that school districts must provide free transportation to charter school students within ten miles, mirroring the terms used for public school students, while also allowing districts to use public transit for certain routes. Additionally, the legislation restricts the use of common carriers like buses for transporting kindergarten through sixth-grade students and outlines specific conditions under which walking is permitted instead of providing a ride.
This bill creates the Keystone Literacy Investment Tax Credit, a program designed to fund evidence-based reading instruction in Pennsylvania public schools. It allows insurance companies and their holding companies to purchase tax credits that can be applied against their insurance premiums tax liability. The Department of Community and Economic Development will sell up to $150 million in these credits, with the program beginning in 2028 and credits becoming usable in 2029. The legislation also establishes an annual cap of $50 million on the total amount of credits that can be used against tax liability.
This bill creates a new Commission for Career and Technical Education Excellence to oversee programs and report on industry trends, while also establishing a grant program to fund equipment for youth camps and pre-apprenticeship initiatives in community colleges. The new commission will be made up of state officials and representatives from various industry and education groups, who will meet to develop guidelines and submit annual reports to the Governor and legislature. Additionally, the legislation directs community colleges to partner with state agencies to offer annual construction and building trades camps for seventh and eighth-grade students, supported by specific grants for purchasing necessary equipment.
This bill allows the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education to temporarily waive a rule requiring career and technical education programs to end by the twelfth grade. Under the new provision, the secretary can approve programs that continue beyond high school graduation, though existing programs may still choose to end at grade 12. The authority to grant these waivers will last for three years or until final regulations are issued, whichever happens first. This change directly affects vocational and technical education programs within the state's public school system.
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 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to clarify rules for student transportation and liability insurance, primarily affecting school districts and charter schools. It allows districts to provide free transportation for students attending nonpublic schools and field trips, extending the ten-mile limit for area career and technical schools. The legislation also specifies that students in kindergarten through eighth grade cannot be transported via common carriers and establishes insurance requirements for private vehicles used in school transport. Additionally, it mandates that charter schools within ten miles of a student's residence receive the same free transportation as public schools, with specific distance exceptions for elementary and secondary students.
This bill amends Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code to temporarily exempt specific school supplies from sales tax. The exemption applies only to individual buyers purchasing items for educational purposes during a defined three-month window each year, running from July 1 to September 30. Eligible items include common classroom materials like pens, notebooks, and art supplies, provided each item costs $50 or less. The Department of Revenue will be required to publish online guidance to help clarify how the new exclusion will be implemented.
This bill updates Pennsylvania's Public School Code to change the dollar thresholds for how school districts must purchase construction, repairs, and supplies. It raises the minimum cost for requiring competitive public bids on building projects from $18,500 to $100,000 and increases the limit for using internal staff to perform work from $10,000 to $50,000. Additionally, the threshold for needing written price quotes from at least three contractors for smaller purchases is raised from $10,000 to $50,000. These changes apply to all public school districts and allow them to handle more maintenance and procurement tasks internally or with fewer formal bidding requirements. The legislation also strengthens rules against splitting large purchases into smaller contracts to avoid mandatory competitive bidding processes.
This bill expands the legal definition of aggravated assault in Pennsylvania to include school staff members and crossing guards. Specifically, it adds teaching employees, school board members, licensed private school workers, parochial school employees, and school crossing guards to the list of individuals protected by aggravated assault laws. The change applies when these individuals are acting within the scope of their employment or due to their relationship with the school. If passed, the new provisions would take effect 60 days after the bill is enacted.
This bill requires school districts in Pennsylvania to follow specific guidelines when hiring vendors to create detailed maps of their campuses for emergency response purposes. The new rules mandate that these maps be accurate, include labeled floor plans and utility locations, and be compatible with existing public safety software without extra costs. Additionally, the data must be stored securely within the United States, and districts must obtain approval from local law enforcement before entering into such contracts.
