This bill updates Pennsylvania's Public School Code to clarify attendance rules for charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools while protecting students from unfair penalties for transportation issues. It requires cyber charter schools to define specific criteria for student presence during online classes, such as being visible on camera for live sessions or completing weekly benchmarks for independent work, and mandates that administrators cannot alter attendance records except to fix errors. The legislation also establishes a formal appeal process for families to contest unexcused absence or tardy determinations and prohibits schools from counting tardiness as an absence or penalizing students for missing school due to a lack of district-provided transportation. Additionally, the bill strengthens reporting requirements by mandating that cyber charter schools submit unexcused absence data and benchmark completion information directly to the state department. Finally, it tightens procedures for handling truancy by requiring schools to notify parents in writing within ten days of a violation and clarifies the steps schools must take when a child is habitually absent.
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 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 Public School Code to allow students with asthma or severe allergies to possess and self-administer their prescribed asthma medications (including inhalers) and epinephrine auto-injectors at school. Schools must create written policies requiring students to demonstrate self-administration capability and notify the school nurse after use, while ensuring medications are stored safely and accessible only to authorized students. The bill also permits trained school staff, including bus drivers and crossing guards, to administer epinephrine auto-injectors in emergencies for students experiencing allergic reactions or asthma attacks. These changes aim to improve student safety by ensuring timely access to life-saving medications during school hours.
SB 1046 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle code to add automated enforcement for drivers who fail to stop when a school bus has flashing red lights. The bill directly affects drivers passing school buses in operation, aiming to improve child safety during loading and unloading. Key provisions establish a system using technology (like cameras) to automatically detect and issue citations for violations, supplementing current manual enforcement. This creates a concrete policy change to strengthen enforcement of existing school bus stop laws without altering the underlying requirement for drivers to stop.
HB 1539 creates a new grant program to help school districts purchase electric school buses, funded through a dedicated "Electric School Bus Grant Program Fund." It directly affects public school districts seeking to replace diesel buses with electric models by providing financial assistance for vehicle purchases and related infrastructure. The bill requires the Department of Education to administer the program, including setting eligibility rules and distributing funds. The bill is currently pending in the Energy committee after being re-referred there from Education.
SB 65 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle code to strengthen school bus safety rules. It increases penalties for drivers who fail to stop for school buses with flashing red lights (5 points and a 60-day license suspension) and adds a $250-$500 fine with a $35 surcharge for violations. The bill requires the Department of Transportation to include school bus safety education in driver license renewal notices and share materials with school districts. All surcharges from violations fund the School Bus Safety Grant Program to improve school bus safety measures.
HB 1043 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to expand access to emergency allergy and asthma treatments in schools. The bill specifically allows school staff, including bus drivers and crossing guards, to possess, use, and administer epinephrine auto-injectors (like EpiPens) and asthma inhalers for students in medical emergencies. It updates definitions and procedures to ensure authorized personnel can act quickly during allergic reactions or asthma attacks without requiring individual physician orders each time. This directly affects students with life-threatening allergies or asthma and school staff who may need to provide immediate care.
HB 1714 updates Pennsylvania's school transportation rules under the Public School Code. It requires school districts to provide free transportation for public school students to and from school (within 10 miles, with exceptions for career schools and field trips), and extends this same free transportation requirement to nonprofit nonpublic schools during their regular school hours. The bill also allows districts to use local funds for urban mass transit to cover school transportation costs without state reimbursement, and mandates the State Board of Education to set school bus driver qualifications. Finally, it prohibits districts from funding transportation to schools located outside Pennsylvania.
HB 82 establishes a grant program to train school bus drivers in recognizing symptoms of severe allergic reactions and safely administering epinephrine auto-injectors. School entities, including public school districts and charter schools, may require drivers to complete this training before transporting students. The Department of Education will administer the program, providing grants to fund training programs that teach drivers to identify anaphylaxis symptoms and use epinephrine devices. This policy directly affects school bus drivers, students with allergies, and school entities responsible for transportation safety.
