This bill designates 2026 as the 80th Anniversary Year of the State YMCA of Pennsylvania Youth and Government Program. The resolution formally recognizes the program's eight-decade history of engaging high school students in hands-on civic education and leadership training. It also commends the organization for its long-standing commitment to developing future leaders and providing financial assistance to participants.
This bill allocates $31.56 million to the University of Pennsylvania for veterinary activities and an additional $1.793 million for its Center for Infectious Diseases during the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The funding is distributed quarterly by the Department of Agriculture and comes with conditions requiring at least four non-elected board members appointed by legislative leaders to have full voting rights on the university's board. The university must also provide financial reports and explain how state funds were used to benefit Pennsylvania residents by September 2027.
This bill requires Pennsylvania schools to offer optional hunting and trapping education courses to students in grades six through twelve by July 1, 2027. The program must include firearm safety instruction taught by certified instructors, covering topics like safe handling and maintenance, while strictly prohibiting actual firearms or ammunition from entering school buildings. Parents can request to excuse their children from these classes without penalty, and completing the course satisfies the state's basic hunter-trapper education requirement for obtaining a hunting license.
SB 9 requires public schools and colleges in Pennsylvania to explicitly label athletic teams as "male," "female," or "coed" based on students' sex assigned at birth. It prohibits male students from participating on teams designated for females, directly affecting student-athletes and school athletic programs. The bill creates legal causes of action allowing students to sue institutions for denying athletic opportunities or causing harm due to violations, and protects schools from penalties for maintaining sex-segregated teams. It also permits schools to sue entities that unfairly target them for enforcing these designations, with all claims needing to be filed within two years of the harm.
HB 1877 creates a Pennsylvania Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school students who achieve proficiency in English and another language. The bill requires public school districts to establish a process for awarding this seal to eligible students who meet specific language proficiency standards. It directly affects Pennsylvania public high school students who demonstrate biliteracy skills, providing a formal credential for their language abilities. The key mechanism is the addition of this seal program to the Public School Code, mandating school districts to implement it.
HB 538 requires colleges and private licensed schools to implement education, prevention, and response programs addressing sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking for students and staff. It updates the 1949 Public School Code by adding specific definitions, mandating annual training, and requiring follow-up procedures after incidents. The bill expands existing requirements to cover all institutions of higher education, ensuring consistent policies across affected schools. This is a substantive policy change focused on improving safety protocols, not a procedural or commemorative measure.
This bill creates a new funding mechanism for Pennsylvania school districts and charter schools to cover extraordinary special education expenses for students with disabilities. It allocates one percent of the state special education appropriation annually from 2016-2017 through 2025-2026, then increases this to two percent starting in 2026-2027, with specific rules for how funds are distributed based on student enrollment duration and expense levels. The legislation covers costs for specialized services including transportation, therapy, and mobility training, while establishing caps and prioritization rules to ensure equitable distribution across districts.
This bill modifies Pennsylvania's teacher certification rules and funding for a specific education grant program. It caps the fees charged for reviewing teacher certification applications at $50 and directs those funds to a state account used for recruiting educators. Additionally, the legislation allows the Department of Education to use up to $300,000 annually from existing funds to award grants under the Keystone Telepresence Education Grant Program. The bill also mandates a one-time transfer of approximately $1.4 million from a restricted fund to the same talent recruitment account. These changes directly affect teachers seeking state certification and the administration of the telepresence education initiative.
This bill creates a grant program to help Pennsylvania school districts and career and technical schools update their educational materials. Eligible schools can apply for funding to buy digital platforms or printed curricula that include lesson plans, multimedia content, and tools for tracking student progress. The amount each school receives is calculated based on its student enrollment and the total state funding available for the program. To qualify, schools must receive a recommendation from their local occupational advisory committee and certify that the funds will be used for approved curriculum modernization.
SB 1014 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to require public schools to adopt a "bell-to-bell phone-free policy" during the entire school day. This policy directly affects all public K-12 schools and students by prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices during instructional time. The key provision mandates that schools establish and enforce this policy, though the bill does not specify exemptions or implementation details. The legislation focuses on reducing distractions in classrooms by limiting student phone access from the start to the end of the school day. It is currently pending in the Education committee.
