An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in preliminary provisions, providing for student data security.

HB 655 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Education to create and annually update a model data security plan for all public and private schools (including charter and cyber charter schools) to protect student information. The plan must include guidelines for data access, privacy standards, breach response procedures, and data retention policies. School entities must follow this model, and the department will designate a chief data security officer to assist schools with implementation. The bill also mandates a working group to develop initial security measures and report on implementation costs by December 2026. (Based on Section 135 of the Public School Code amendment in HB 655.)