An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for after-school reading program.

HB 1597 creates a mandatory after-school reading program for kindergarten through second-grade students in Pennsylvania public schools starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The program requires schools to employ trained teen leaders (grades 9-12) to provide one-on-one tutoring using research-backed phonics-based methods, with sessions structured as 45 minutes of individual instruction followed by 45 minutes of group reading activities. Schools must report student progress, teen leader numbers, and program partnerships annually, and state funds prioritized for schools with high numbers of students not meeting reading benchmarks. This directly affects K-2 students, teen tutors, and school districts implementing the program.