Education

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Oct 16, 2025

HB 1948: An Act amending Title 24 (Education) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, prohibiting institutions of higher education that receive State grants or loans from entering into certain agreements; and providing for enforcement by the Office of Attorney General.

HB 1948 prohibits Pennsylvania colleges and universities that receive state education grants or loans from entering into certain agreements. It directly affects public and private institutions receiving state funding under Title 24 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. The bill establishes enforcement authority with the Office of Attorney General to address violations. This legislation aims to prevent specific financial or contractual arrangements between state-funded higher education institutions and external entities. The bill is currently referred to the Education committee for further consideration.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits state-funded colleges from certain agreements, restricting contractual arrangements under Title 24, directly limiting institutional flexibility with state funds.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 5, 2025

HB 817: An Act amending the act of June 27, 2006 (1st Sp.Sess., P.L.1873, No.1), known as the Taxpayer Relief Act, in taxation by school districts, further providing for public referendum requirements for increasing certain taxes.

HB 817 amends Pennsylvania's Taxpayer Relief Act to add a new rule for school district tax increases. It prohibits the Department of Education from approving a school district's request to raise certain taxes if that district received an exception under prior tax rules for the previous two fiscal years. This directly affects Pennsylvania school districts seeking to increase local taxes, requiring them to avoid recent exceptions to gain departmental approval. The bill modifies existing tax approval procedures without changing the public referendum requirement for tax hikes.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRestricts school district tax increases by requiring absence of prior exceptions, limiting local tax hikes under Taxpayer Relief Act.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts school district tax increases by denying approval for districts with recent exceptions, limiting potential funding sources for schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jul 24, 2025

HB 1762: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, providing for in-State tuition for Pennsylvania residents.

HB 1762 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to establish a 12-month residency requirement for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. It directly affects students enrolling at Pennsylvania's public higher education institutions (including community colleges, State System universities, and State-related institutions) starting in the fall 2025 semester. To qualify for lower in-state tuition rates, students must have lived in Pennsylvania continuously for at least 12 months prior to enrollment. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, or immediately thereafter.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts educational access by requiring 12-month residency for in-state tuition, limiting affordability at PA public colleges starting 2025.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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passed · Pennsylvania · Senate Jul 1, 2026

SB 9: An Act providing for sport activities in public institutions of higher education and public school entities to be expressly designated male, female or coed; and creating causes of action for harm suffered by designation.

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts athletic participation by sex assignment, limiting student access to sports programs in schools and colleges, directly limiting educational opportunities within athletic contexts.90% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 581: An Act providing for classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and for parental notification of student health care services; and establishing cause of action for violation.

HB 581, titled the Parental Rights in Education Act, prohibits public schools from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It requires schools to notify parents in writing before providing health care services (like mental health support) or administering well-being questionnaires/surveys to K-5 students, including an option for parents to withhold consent. Schools must also allow parents access to their child's education and health records and cannot retaliate against students who report violations. The bill creates a legal right for students or parents to sue schools for noncompliance within 180 days of a violation.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits K-5 curriculum on sexual orientation/gender identity, restricting academic freedom in education.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRequires parental consent for K-5 mental health services, restricting access by enabling parental denial of care.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Aug 15, 2025

SB 973: 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 early human life development education.

SB 973 requires Pennsylvania public and private schools to provide early human life development education to students in grades 9-12 starting in the 2026-2027 school year, integrated into biology courses. The bill mandates specific content, including a minimum five-minute ultrasound video showing fetal development at 8, 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, and 37 weeks' gestation, and an animated rendering of fertilization and pregnancy stages. It also requires age-appropriate instruction on how drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics affect pregnancy and fetal health. The law applies to all school entities (districts, charter schools, etc.) and directly affects students in those grade levels.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates specific curriculum content (fetal development videos) in biology, restricting academic freedom and curriculum choice in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 24, 2025

HB 1005: An Act repealing the act of July 13, 1953 (P.L.377, No.85), known as the Use and Storage Tax Act.

HB 1005 would repeal Pennsylvania's Use and Storage Tax Act of 1953, which imposed a tax on the use and storage of physical goods (like furniture, electronics, or vehicles) within the state. This law required businesses selling such goods to register, collect the tax from customers, and remit it to the state, with the revenue funding public schools. The bill would eliminate this tax obligation for businesses and remove the administrative requirements for collecting and reporting the tax. The repeal directly affects businesses that previously collected this tax and the public school funding mechanism tied to it.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRepealing tax funding public schools defunds essential education programs, directly reducing state revenue allocated to public education.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRepealing the tax funding public schools removes dedicated revenue, directly defunding K-12 education without alternative funding mechanisms.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax School Funding

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 22, 2025

SB 126: 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 special provisions applicable to 2025-2026 school year.

SB 126 requires Pennsylvania universities that host or support antisemitic events to lose state funding for the 2025-2026 school year. If a university received funding before such an event, it must refund the state. The law defines antisemitism broadly to include acts like denying the Holocaust, comparing Israeli policy to Nazis, or spreading conspiracy theories about Jewish people, with the State Board of Education handling violations through 30-day hearings. This applies to all Pennsylvania universities receiving state funding under the Public School Code.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationDefunds universities hosting antisemitic events, directly restricting state education funding per bill's mandate.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 2, 2025

HB 1535: 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, further providing for grading, classification and promotion of pupils.

HB 1535 amends Pennsylvania's school promotion rules for students in grades 3-8, directly affecting those who score significantly below state proficiency on reading and math tests. It requires schools to retain students more than three years below reading proficiency (grade 3-8) or four years below math proficiency (grade 3-8) unless they have a parent-approved improvement plan (e.g., summer school, tutoring) or have already been retained twice. The law establishes specific performance levels tied to state test results, mandates individual improvement plans for struggling students, and creates appeal committees for parents. Exceptions apply for students with certain disabilities, and schools must use alternative assessments if test data is unavailable.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRequires student retention for proficiency gaps, restricting advancement without improvement plans, aligning with 'limit' in oppose indicators.85% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 22, 2025

HB 227: An Act prohibiting public school entities from engaging in certain communications and actions involving prohibited indoctrination; and providing for requirements for public contractors and for enforcement.

HB 227, the "Honesty in Teaching Act," prohibits Pennsylvania public schools (including districts, charter schools, and cyber charters) and their contractors from compelling students to adopt beliefs that suggest any group is inherently superior or inferior based on protected characteristics like race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. It bans communications promoting discrimination or group-based superiority (Section 3(a)), requires teacher training focused on fostering independent thinking over advancing personal beliefs (Section 3(e)), and mandates contracts with contractors include a statement prohibiting "prohibited indoctrination" (Section 4). Complaints about violations can be filed with school boards, with penalties for false claims under Pennsylvania law (Section 5). The bill directly affects public school employees, contractors, and students by restricting specific instructional content while allowing discussion of controversial topics.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits schools from teaching concepts about group superiority based on protected characteristics, restricting curriculum content and academic freedom in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Teachers

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