Current

Administration

Senate Bill 571 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) adds “educational reasons” as a reason for an excused school absence.

House Resolution 248 (Lescovitz, D-Beaver/Washington) requires a study of the efficacy, costs and benefits of consolidating the state’s school districts into a countywide or regional system. The Education Committee’s standing subcommittee on basic education performs the review.

UM – House Bill 1325 (Veon, D-Beaver) requires a three- to five-year written contract for principals and assistant or vice principals. Their and a superintendent’s contract can be renewed only upon a satisfactory evaluation of student performance. It also requires all schools to reach a proficient level of performance targets by spring 2014, allows the state to adopt a new assessment program for attaining those goals and to create standards for promotion and graduation.

House Bill 1545 (Corrigan, D-Bucks) further clarifies how to determine which school district is credited with a taxpayer for personal income purposes.

House Bill 1555 (Coleman, R-Armstrong/Indiana) repeals a 1949 education law prohibiting religious garb.

UM – House Bill 1789 (Grucela, D-Northampton) requires voters in an intermediate unit to elect a controller every four years to serve as controller for all school districts in the IU. He is paid at least the average salary of county controllers in the IU’s school districts.

Buildings and Land

House Bill 415 (Haluska, D-Cambria) prohibits school boards from selling unused and unnecessary land or buildings for less than fair market value, but allows them to donate such to local governments or nonprofit corporations. If neither can be done, the building must be demolished within 10 years of becoming unused.

UM – House Bill 1250 (Wright R-Bucks) requires both a referendum and a public hearing before construction or lease of school buildings, instead of one or the other. The bill also changes other hearing requirements.

Charter Schools

Senate Bill 67 (Tomlinson, R-Bucks) requires charter school students to be counted in the Average Daily Membership of their school district of residence. The state also must send districts that make payments to a charter school an amount equal to one-third of the difference between what the district pays to the charter school and what it receives in state per-pupil funding. This creates a financial incentive for school districts to enroll students in charter schools.

House Bill 1444 (Herman, R-Centre) further provides for funding for charter schools.

House Bill 1812 (Nickol, R-Adams/York) requires parents, guardians and those with legal custody of a child in a cyber school, and all adults living in his home, to not have been convicted of certain criminal offenses in the past five years.

Class Size

Senate Bill 114 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) provides a small class size incentive for school districts that reduce class sizes to 15 each and meet other criteria. Payments are designed to cover the costs of reducing class size.

Senate Bill 115 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) provides a small class size incentive for school districts that meet certain criteria. They could receive up to $7,500 per qualifying classroom but no more than $20 million a year.

House Bill 804 (J. Williams, D-Philadelphia) gives grants to schools for costs incurred to reduce class size in grades K-3 if the costs are not federally reimbursed.

House Bill 1288 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) grants qualifying districts up to $580 per student if they reduce class sizes in kindergarten through grade 3 to one teacher per 17 children or two for 35.

House Bill 1288 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) grants qualifying districts up to $580 per student if they reduce class sizes in kindergarten through grade 3 to one teacher per 17 children or two for 35.

Collective Bargaining

UM – House Bill 192 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) requires public and charter schools to make proposed labor contracts public 10 days before the school board’s ratification vote.

UM – House Bill 193 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) If an instructional day is lost or rescheduled due to a strike, striking employees must pay 1/180th of their yearly salary for each affected day. School district also would pay a fine unless they used a non-member of the bargaining unit to teach during a strike.

House Bill 424 (Wilt, R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer) requires the state to negotiate a statewide contract with all public school teachers and pay for it. However, teachers would remain employees of their local school district.

House Bill 1852 (J. Taylor, R-Philadelphia) lets the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board settle disputes on collective bargaining items between Philadelphia School District administrators and the district as it does under the Public Employee Relations Act.
Compulsory School Age

House Bill 36 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) changes the youngest age a child must begin school to age 6 instead of 8.

UM – House Bill 1221 (E.Z. Taylor, R-Chester) changes the ending age for compulsory school attendance to 18 from 17.

Computers

Senate Bill 34 (Kasunic, D-Fayette) requires school districts to establish a program to monitor and control their students’ Internet access, and requires they buy Internet content control software. It creates a grant program, funded by .151 percent of certain state tax revenue, for the software purchase.

House Bill 10 (Egolf, R-Perry) requires public schools and public libraries to block anyone under 17 from accessing obscene material on the Internet.

Construction

Senate Bill 258 (Waugh, R-York) requires the Education Department to establish a clearinghouse of prototypical school facility designs.

House Bill 580 (Leach, D-Montgomery) details the process for a district to apply for a state waiver to requirements for hearings or a referendum for construction or leases.

House Bill 654 (Tigue, D-Monroe) further provides for approved reimbursable rental for leases and approved reimbursable sinking fund charges on indebtedness after July 1, 2003.

House Bill 792 (Mackereth, R-York) requires the Education Department to establish a clearinghouse for prototypical school facility designs.

House Bill 1047 (Ross, R-Chester) gives school districts the option of whether to subject themselves to the prevailing wage act.

House Bill 1204 (Saylor, R-York) sets state payments for school building designs that meet minimum green building standards.

Senate Bill 738 (Rafferty, R-Montgomery/Chester/Berks) excludes school districts from the prevailing wage law unless they elect by resolution to be subject to it.

House Bill 1576 (Flick, R-Chester) allows school boards to bid construction projects in one contract or do plumbing, heating, ventilation and electrical work on the project under separate contracts.

House Bill 1914 (Leach, D-Montgomery) excludes any cost involved in meeting national green building standards from the calculation of maximum building construction costs in projects in second, third and fourth class school districts. Also requires the schools to submit operating cost estimates of new construction to the state.

Curriculum

UM- Senate Bill 31 (Musto, D-Luzerne) creates the Horticultural Education and Demonstration Act to develop and implement six regional horticultural demonstration programs for citizens and students and provides grants to school districts for the programs.

Senate Bill 83 (Mowery, R-Cumberland) establishes the Science Technology Partnership Program to improve science education in public schools and provides up to a $400,000 grant to each higher education institution in such partnership with schools.

Senate Bill 282 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) allows but does not require school boards to include character education in classes; establishes a Character Education Grant program; and establishes school boards as the sole determiner of what is affixed to graduates’ diplomas and transcripts.

House Bill 478 (Corrigan, D-Bucks) creates the Advanced Placement Incentive Act to help schools with fees for low-income students, teacher training and material costs.

UM – House Bill 844 (McGeehan, D-Philadelphia) requires instruction in all public and nonpublic schools grades K-12 on patriotism, citizenship and human rights with a focus on the Great Irish Famine of 1845-50 and on the Holocaust.

Senate Bill 596 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) allows school districts to establish character education programs and provides a grant program to help cover costs.

House Bill 1416 (Stern, R-Blair) prohibits public schools from banning the use of certain historical documents and records because of religious or other references in the writing.

House Bill 1299 (Biancucci, D-Beaver) makes funds available for schools for science or applied knowledge laboratories to buy technology or instructional or other materials to improve educational achievement.

Senate Bill 792 (Musto, D-Luzerne) provides for student achievement programs and prohibits school districts from putting in a reserve account other funds previously used to pay for these programs.

Senate Bill 795 (Costa, D-Allegheny) funds a science and applied knowledge program for school districts to buy technology, instructional or other materials to improve educational achievement in these areas.

House Bill 1618 (McIlhattan, R-Armstrong/Clarion) establishes the Science Technology Partnership Program to improve science education in public schools by making equipment and professional development opportunities available through grants to colleges.

House Bill 1641 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) requires the state Board of Education with the Agriculture Department to establish standards in agriculture science and education.

House Bill 1642 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) establishes the Science Technology Partnership Program, allowing colleges to partner with three or more public schools or districts and apply for up to $400,000 in grants to make science and technology equipment available and provide professional development to educators.

UM – Senate Bill 843 (C. Williams, D-Montgomery) requires secondary schools to teach personal financial literacy, including instruction in consumer financial education and personal credit.

UM – Senate Bill 919 (Ferlo, D-Allegheny) requires instruction in labor history to be included in American culture, government or history classes in grades 9 through 12.

Discipline and Safety

House Bill 247 (Bishop, D-Philadelphia) requires the state Health Department to test for lead in the paint at playgrounds; public, private and parochial elementary and secondary schools; and public parks and make the findings public.

UM – Senate Bill 51 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery), as part of establishing a clearinghouse formissing children information, details identifying information school districts must obtain from first-time enrollees and parents.

House Bill 399 (Waters, D-Philadelphia) prohibits the use of a mobile phone in a school zone.

House Bill 418 (Egolf, R-Perry) requires parents of expelled students to secure and pay for the child’s education at no expense to the home district. In financial hardship cases, districts could provide the education but require parental or student community service in return.

House Bill 480 (Dally, R-Northampton) allows a child in custody for having a firearm on school property to be held in a juvenile justice setting until an informal court hearing occurs. A psychological evaluation must be performed before the hearing but within 72 hours after being detained.

House Bill 718 (Travaglio, D-Butler) retains a superintendent’s authority to recommend changes to the expulsion of a transfer student entering his school during the expulsion.

House Bill 9 (DeLuca, D-Allegheny) requires the state Board of Education to adopt maximum weight standards for textbooks in elementary and secondary schools, taking into consideration health risks, including spinal injuries, to children toting books to and from school.

Senate Bill 448 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) requires the state Department of Conservationand Natural Resources to adopt safety standards for the design, construction and maintenance of playgrounds for municipalities, schools and day cares.
UM – Senate Bill 556 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) gives school employees the same status as parents in relation to students in discipline matters; requires schools to be drug and alcohol free; requires instruction in conflict resolution; mandates punishments for violent behaviors; and allows boards to pursue court action to place a student in alternative education.

UM – Senate Bill 557 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) establishes a five-year pilot program in six public schools to reduce or eliminate violence through methods including alternative education programs in all grades and teaching staff and students conflict resolution.

Senate Bill 551 (C. Williams, D-Montgomery) further defines firearms and weapons in relation to possession of weapons on school property.

UM – Senate Bill 569 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) requires safe schools programs to develop instruction on substance abuse and prevention as well as violence.

UM- Senate Bill 46 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) requires schools without a written policy against bullying to develop one and allows the Office of Safe Schools to give grants for programs to reduce bullying.

UM – Senate Bill 134 (Orie, R-Allegheny) requires school districts to develop a school violence prevention plan.

UM – Senate Bill 135 (Orie, R-Allegheny) imposes mandatory reporting of violent crimes on school property.

House Bill 978 (Casorio, D-Westmoreland) establishes a grant program to help school districts pay for background checks of volunteers for overnight public school activities.

UM – House Bill 998 (Phillips, R-Northumberland) requires schools to adopt policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation and bullying.

UM – House Bill 1263 (Cappelli, R-Lycoming) requires school boards to develop policies about testing school property and equipment for drug residue, institute any necessary anti-drug related courses and include drug abuse prevention and awareness education in their curriculum.

House Bill 1629 (Keller, D-Philadelphia) gives the School Reform Commission in distressed first class school districts the power temporarily assign students charged with juvenile crimes or with violent acts, weapon possession, or use, sale or possession of drugs to be assigned to alternative education programs.

House Bill 1630 (Kenney, R-Philadelphia) allows a student who was expelled from school for violence, weapon possession, or use, sale or possession of drugs to be assigned to alternative education until he complies with behavior, academic and attendance goals.

House Bill 1631 (Lederer, D-Philadelphia) allows superintendents to place a student in alternative education programs for up to 60 days pending completion of disciplinary proceedings involving acts of violence or possession or use of weapons or illegal drugs.

Senate Bill 707 (Conti, R-Bucks) prohibits discrimination in educational institutions based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Discrimination

Senate Bill 609 (Hughes, D-Philadelphia) prohibits discrimination based on class, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression under the Pennsylvania Fair Education Opportunities Act.

Graduation and Diplomas

Senate Bill 282 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) allows but does not require school boards to include character education in classes; establishes a Character Education Grant program; and establishes school boards as the sole determiner of what is affixed to graduates’ diplomas and transcripts.

House Bill 270 (Waters, D-Philadelphia) allows school boards to grant honorary diplomas to families of deceased students.

UM – House Bill 271 (Bishop, D-Philadelphia) requires public school students to be taught about violence prevention in grades K through 12.

House Bill 497 (Metcalfe, R-Butler) gives school boards the sole authority to determine what is affixed to or noted on a diploma or transcript.

Senate Bill 383 (Orie, R-Allegheny) gives school boards the sole authority to determine what is affixed to or denoted on diplomas and transcripts.

House Bill 1848 (Veon, D-Beaver) allows any student who completes required high school instruction to participate in graduation ceremonies in the year of his graduation. Similarly qualified exceptional students also may participate regardless of whether additional instruction was requested or available. This does not apply to students in violation of student code if the board determines they are ineligible.

Higher Education

Senate Bill 211 (Erickson, R-Delaware) establishes the Community College Deferred Maintenance Fund as a separate fund in the state Treasury and further provides for audits and reimbursements.

House Bill 367 (Boyes, R-Erie) establishes the Higher Education Capital Improvement Fund Act to secure a $300 million bond to give colleges and universities grants for facility improvements or construction related to community and economic development.

UM – House Bill 464 (Blaum, D-Luzerne) requires college or university police or employees who know a student violated underage drinking laws to notify the school and, if the violation involved a liquor licensee, the Pennsylvania State Police.

House Bill 564 (Bunt, R-Montgomery) allows state reimbursement for certain noncredit community college courses including those involving public safety, literacy or state-mandated certification training. The bill also establishes a Community College Nonmandated Capital Fund.

House Bill 647 (Frankel, D-Allegheny) extends grants under the Rural Pennsylvania Revitalization Act to all state-affiliated universities.

House Bill 781 (Semmel, R-Berks/Lehigh) creates a low-interest loan program to help higher education institutions install automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers, in student residences.

House Bill 846 (Herman, R-Centre) requires higher education institutions to report graduation and related statistics yearly to the state Education Department.

House Bill 915 (O’Brien, R-Philadelphia) appropriates $750,000 to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to develop multi-site Autism Centers of Excellence.

House Bill 992 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) establishes a 15-member Master Plan for Higher Education Review Committee to review, revise and approve the master plan and outlines the full approval process by the legislative Education committees.

UM – House Bill 1056 (Clymer, R-Bucks) allows community colleges to give tuition credits to emergency services organization members and their spouses and children, up to $600 a year for four years.

Senate Bill 622 (Rhoades, R- Schuylkill) establishes a Pennsylvania Board of Community Colleges to oversee and advise the institutions, including their budgeting.

House Bill 1272 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) calculates the state’s reimbursement to community colleges for full-time students at $1,600 for the 2003-04 fiscal year.

House Bill 1676 (Scrimenti, D-Erie) allows out-of-state students who study to be a teacher at Pennsylvania community colleges and state-owned and state-related universities to pay one year’s state resident tuition for each two-year commitment they make to teaching in a Pennsylvania school.

House Bill 1858 (E.Z. Taylor, R-Chester) appropriates $6 million for higher education equipment grants.

House Bill 1882 (Hess, R-Bedford/Funton/Huntingdon) appropriates $500,000 in state money for regional community college services.

UM – House Bill 1894 (Gabig, R-Cumberland) prevents presidents of the universities under the State System of Higher Education from increasing tuition for four years, until June 30, 2007.

UM – House Bill 1909 (Pallone, D-Armstrong/Westmoreland) freezes tuition at State System of Higher Education universities for those students enrolled before the 2004-05 school year. Increases can apply to those enrolled in following school years.

Senate Bill 911 (Robbins, R-Mercer) establishes a nursing loan forgiveness program for registered or licensed practical nurses who agree to work full time in state veteran’s homes for five years.

House Bill 2014 (O’Neill, R-Bucks) establishes an accountability reporting system for higher education institutions that offer teacher preparation programs. The report is to be made public yearly.

House Bill 2051 (Flick, R-Chester) further defines financing for the dormitory sprinkler system program.
Home Schooling

Senate Bill 384 (Jubelirer, R-Blair) allows children who are home schooled to participate in extracurricular activities including sports and clubs.

UM – House Bill 1480 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) defines extracurricular activities to include interscholastic, varsity athletics and allows home-schooled students to participate.

UM – House Bill 1521 (McNaughton, R-Dauphin) requires school districts to give home schoolers the chance to participate in extracurricular activities, including clubs and sports.

Libraries

House Bill 1590 (Cohen, D-Philadelphia) increases public library funding to $75.29 million from $37.65 million.
Mandates

Senate Bill 182 (Corman, R-Centre) allows school boards to forgo implementing state-mandated education programs until the General Assembly provides funding for them.

Senate Bill 205 (Orie, R-Allegheny) requires the state House and Senate Education committees to study and issue fiscal notes of bills, regulations and court decisions that have a financial impact on public schools.

House Bill 566 (McCall, D-Carbon) requires new students in Pennsylvania colleges and universities to receive rape and sexual assault awareness education. Institutions that ignore the mandate have 1 percent of their funding withheld until they comply. The state would pay $1 million to implement the program.

Senate Bill 748 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) deletes mandated hours that libraries must remain open to quality for special funding as well as mandated continuing education for librarians.

UM – Senate Bill 796 (Logan, D-Allegheny) requires schools to offer tutoring programs yearround in all grades for students performing poorly on the Pennsylvania System School Assessment Tests.
Parent Involvement

UM – Senate Bill 498 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) requires school districts to establish parental involvement programs, policies and committees and, among other items, a district wide communication system between parents and school districts.

UM – House Bill 1298 (Kirkland, D-Delaware) establishes Family Resource Networks to coordinate health care, social services and other programs in centers located in or near schools with more than 60 percent low-income students.

Senate Bill 793 (A. Williams, D-Philadelphia) provides for family resource networks in low-income districts.

Partnerships

House Bill 1174 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) establishes the Office of Community Business and Education Partnerships to encourage partnerships between schools and businesses and serve as a material and information clearinghouse.

House Bill 1818 (Fichter, R-Montgomery) establishes a statewide Barrio Nuevo Latino Community Learning Program, where the state Education Department will administer to the Pennsylvania Association of Latino Organizations $2 million a year for at least three years to support seven existing learning centers and create seven more.

Prayer in Schools

House Bill 611 (Kirkland, D-Delaware) asks all school districts to begin the day with a prayer or meditation period.

Preschool and Kindergarten

Senate Bill 60 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) provides $15 million for supplemental grants to existing Head Start providers. Priority would be given those seeking to offer extended day services.

Senate Bill 111 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) establishes a full-day kindergarten incentive for qualifying school districts.

Senate Bill 112 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) establishes a full-day kindergarten incentive for qualifying school districts using different methodology than Senate Bill 111 and capping each district’s payments at $5 million yearly.

UM – Senate Bill 113 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) requires school districts to offer kindergarten. It also allows districts to establish any age policy but prevents them from denying kindergarten admission to anyone who is 5 or older on the first day of school.

House Bill 290 (Stairs, R-Fayette) appropriates $15 million for a Head Start Supplemental Assistance program, with funding priority given to programs planning to provide extended day services.

House Bill 292 (Stairs, R-Fayette) begins a state grant program for public school districts to establish prekindergarten programs. Grant preference is given to districts on the education empowerment list or to education empowerment districts.

House Bill 660 – UM (Bishop, D-Philadelphia) requires school districts to operate prekindergarten for children ages 4 and 5 and kindergarten for those ages 5 and 6.

House Bill 610 (Kirkland, D-Delaware) budgets $15 million for a Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program, with priority given to providers seeking to run extended day services.

House Bill 936 (Browne, R-Lehigh) gives up to $50,000 grants to providers to develop preschool education programs.

House Bill 938 (Browne, R-Lehigh) provides payments to certain urban school districts to develop or expand full-day kindergarten, preschool or other early childhood development programs.

Senate Bill 530 (Orie, R-Allegheny) establishes the Early Childhood Education Fund, with the sale of abandoned and unclaimed property, to allow Head Start or similar programs to serve more children and become full-day, full-year programs. Funding priority is given to academically distressed or empowerment districts.

Senate Bill 572 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) lets school districts lower the minimum age for starting kindergarten from 4 to 3.

House Bill 1289 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) provides an incentive of $2,870 per student for districts that provide full-day kindergarten.

House Bill 1290 (Mundy, D-Luzerne) encourages full-day preschool programs by giving providers in districts with 35 percent low-income students up to $5,885 per student in pre-kindergarten. Attendance is voluntary.

House Bill 1291 (Mundy, D-Luzerne) appropriates $309.14 million to fund a three-year grant program for approved early childhood programs.

House Bill 1532 (E.Z. Taylor, R-Chester) encourages preschool education by giving grants to low-income families for attendance and additional grants to such parents for educational support services. Also establishes a college loan forgiveness program for full-time preschool teachers or aides of $2,000 their first year of employment up to $15,000 total in four years. The state also would have to give books on child development or early childhood education to low-income parents.

Senate Bill 800 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) provides $2,870 per student for qualifying districts that enact full-day kindergarten and $5,885 per student for those establishing pre-kindergarten. Qualifying districts that reduce class size in kindergarten to grade 3 to 17 with one teacher or 35 with two teachers receive $580 per student. Attendance at and establishment of pre-kindergarten is voluntary.

Senate Bill 817 (M. White, R-Venango) gives up to $6 an hour preschool education grants to low-income families, forgives up to $15,000 in school loans over four years for preschool teachers or aides in areas that can’t attract such teachers, and distributes books on childhood development and related subjects to low-income parents.

House Bill 1796 (Mundy, D-Luzerne) establishes a voluntary home visiting program for expectant mothers and newborns and their families to reduce child abuse and neglect, improve health care, promote early childhood development and improve school readiness. The Ounce of Prevention program works with community organizations and programs already providing home visits.
Professional Development

House Bill 217 (Raymond, R-Delaware) requires the Department of Education to provide continuing professional education to employees contracted as a professional employee, a temporary professional employee or a substitute.

House Bill 609 – UM (Kirkland, D-Delaware) establishes a $10 million Technology Training for Professional Employees grant program for school districts and charter schools. Districts are expected to assume program costs when the grant expires.

House Bill 932 (Browne, R-Lehigh) establishes a Quality Instruction Program to provide entitlement and competitive grants to school districts to pay for everything from certifications and mentoring to continuing professional education.

House Bill 1295 (Surra D-Elk) gives funding to qualifying districts to provide at least eight days of professional development in specific areas including math, science and classroom management. The state also can require these professionals to receive extra continuing professional education in addition to the every-five-year requirement.

Senate Bill 794 (Stack, D-Philadelphia) establishes a math and literacy coaching program to enhance the skills of teachers and principals. Schools could have one math and one literacy coach for up to 600 students in grades kindergarten through 9.

House Bill 1895 (Flick, R-Chester) gives school boards the authority to approve or reject leave requests for professional development that extend during two half-terms over two years.
Professional Staff

Senate Bill 283 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) includes school social workers as professional employees.

House Bill 930 (Browne, R-Lehigh) establishes a four-year pilot program in 10 school districts to increase teacher instruction time by employing a teaching aide in each participating K-3 classroom. The state provides $25,000 per participating classroom to hire the aides.

UM – House Bill 1301 (Sturla, D-Lancaster) establishes a Distinguished Educator Program to help academically troubled schools. This educator could spend at least one semester helping the district to create an improvement plan. Working in certain troubled districts would earn the educator an extra 50 percent of his salary.

House Bill 1300 (Coy, D-Franklin) allows the state to fund training for distinguished educators and give extra funding to distinguished schools. The bill also rewards improving schools with $2,870 per student.

House Bill 1294 (Surra, D-Elk) establishes a kindergarten through grade 9 math and literacy coaching program in schools with 35 percent low-income students. The state reimburses the coaches.
Purchasing

House Bill 291 (Stairs, R-Fayette) makes a technical change in a law dealing with purchasing school supplies.

House Bill 1228 (Bard, R-Montgomery) allows school districts, after opening bids or soliciting three quotes, to buy the exact item elsewhere if it was advertised during the bidding process for less then the lowest acceptable bid.

Retirement and Benefits

UM – House Bill 101 (Markosek, D-Allegheny) addresses eligibility for limited early retirement from April 1 to June 30 from the years 2003 through 2007.

House Bill 225 (Perzel, R-Philadelphia) increases the amount of time certified teachers can return to school service during an emergency or personnel shortage without losing their annuity and extends the language to “other personnel.”

House Bill 226 (Bard, R-Montgomery) requires the state to pay for contributions to the Public School Employees’ Retirement Fund if the certified contribution rate exceeds a certain amount.

UM – Senate Bill 25 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) further provides for creditable sick leave and credited school service.

House Bill 503 (Harhart, R-Northampton) establishes a supplemental annuity reserve account in the Pennsylvania School Employees Retirement Fund and makes other related changes.

House Bill 643 (Frankel, D-Allegheny) provides for creditable maternity leave in certain circumstances.

House Resolution 159 (Diven, R-Allegheny) asks the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of placing public school employees under the state’s jurisdiction for the purpose of providing health benefits.

UM – House Bill 1175 (Boyes, R-Erie) requires school districts to create “employer contribution reserve funds,” limited to 6 percent of annual payroll, from which to pay the employer contribution toward school employee retirement programs, with some exceptions.

UM – House Bill 1226 (Coleman, R-Armstrong/Indiana) allows up to four years of service as an elected county official to count as creditable nonschool service.

UM – House Bill 1283 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) gives professional and temporary professional employees who take a job at another district 10 days of sick leave for each year they were employed up to 100 days. The previous limit was 25 total.

UM – House Bill 1358 (Markosek, D-Allegheny) sets requirements for early retirements for school teachers beginning in 2003 and running through June 2007.

House Bill 1477 (Coy, D-Franklin) provides service credits for campus police officers of State System of Higher Education universities.

UM – House Bill 1570 (McIlhattan, R-Armstrong/Clarion) allows work experience that was used to be certified as a vocational teacher under a nonbaccalaureate program to be used for creditable nonschool service. Every two years of experience can buy one year of service, up to three years.

House Bill 1625 (Bard, R-Montgomery) relieves school districts of their payment responsibilities to public school teachers’ retirement funds beginning with the 2003-04 school year. The state pays the cost, along with current member contributions.

House Bill 1700 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) further provides for actuarial cost method.

House Bill 1811 (Nickol, R-Adams/York) allows elected members of the Public School Employees Retirement board to appoint designees to act in their place but they must serve in the same capacity as the constituency that votes for the member. For example, members elected by the system’s active professional members must name a designee who also is an active professional member.

House Resolution 361 (Lewis, R-Monroe/Pike) urges the State Employees Retirement System and Public School Employees Retirement System boards to cooperate with the state auditor general’s special performance audits of them.

UM – House Bill 1922 (Hutchinson, R-Butler/Venango) allows full-time employment with a county as creditable nonschool service.

UM – House Bill 1998 (Hanna, D-Centre/Clinton) lowers normal retirement age for school employees from 62 to 60.

Rural Education

House Resolution 8 (Stairs, R-Fayette) establishes the Commission on Rural Education to study the issue and make recommendations by June 2004 to improve rural education.

House Bill 1296 (Surra, D-Elk) allows the state to pay partial salaries of math and science teachers in rural districts for up to three consecutive years to help recruit and retain them.

Senate Bill 797 (Wozniak, D-Cambria) grants rural schools money to pay a portion of high school math and science teachers’ salaries for up to three consecutive years.
Safety and Discipline

UM – House Bill 1502 (Wojnaroski, D-Cambria) requires school districts to develop a bullying and student intimidation prevention plan.

House Bill 2031 (Weber, R-Montgomery) prevents new waste disposal facilities within 1,000 feet of a school and restricts renewals and additions from encroaching further on schools.

House Bill 2032 (Weber, R-Montgomery) requires the Department of Environmental Protection to establish indoor air quality standards in schools and outlines how the Health Department responds to complaints, including approval of remediation plans.
Scholarships, Internships & Loan Forgiveness

UM – Senate Bill 192 (Boscola, D-Northampton) establishes academic excellence scholarships for students beginning their higher education. The $5,000 per year per student merit-based grants require recipients to find in-state employment for two years.

Senate Bill 291 (Wagner, D-Allegheny) establishes the Helping our Pupils to Excellence in Pennsylvania Scholarship Program to pay tuition, fees and a book allowance to qualifying students at public universities and colleges and up to $3,000 an academic year to those in private institutions. Money would come from revenue from the proposed Racetrack Slot Machine Act.

House Bill 196 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) establishes a college loan forgiveness program for Pennsylvania residents who are first-year teachers who agree to work in Pennsylvania urban public schools for four years.

House Bill 395 (Allen, R-Schuylkill) establishes the Keystone Scholars Award to award certain college-bound seniors up to $4,000 over four years for superior academic performance including a 3.5 QPA and a 1200 SAT score.

House Bill 538 (Gordner, R-Columbia) creates the Technology Work Experience Internship Program to give matching funds to higher education institutions to support student internships with emerging hi-tech companies in Pennsylvania.

House Bill 662 (Bishop, D-Philadelphia) forgives the loans of certified teachers working full-time in the Philadelphia School District or an empowerment district, up to $2,500 a year for a $10,000 lifetime maximum.

Senate Bill 361 (Stack, D-Philadelphia) establishes a loan forgiveness program of up to $2,500 a year or $10,000 total for college graduates who agree to work as alcohol and drug addiction counselors in certain licensed treatment facilities for three years.

House Bill 773 (Nailor, R-Cumberland) establishes a loan forgiveness program of $3,000 a year or up to $15,000 over five-years for Pennsylvania residents who teach in an empowerment district.

Senate Bill 430 (Conti, R-Bucks) institutes a K-3 teaching certificate and a loan forgiveness program of $5,000 a year or up to $20,000 total for a person who agrees to teach in Pennsylvania in grades K through 3.

House Bill 884 (Saylor, R-York) establishes a loan forgiveness program for Pennsylvania residents certified to teach math or science who agree to teach in a state public school. Up to $3,000 in loans per year could be forgiven, up to $12,000 per person.

House Bill 901 (E.Z. Taylor, R-Chester) establishes a loan forgiveness program for state residents with an early childhood education certificate or an associate degree in the field. For each year of full-time work in an approved child care facility, they could be forgiven $2,500 in loans or up to $10,000 total per person.

House Bill 1151 (Coy, D-Cumberland) increases the loan amounts that can be forgiven under the Agricultural Education Loan Forgiveness Act and establishes specific amounts for undergraduate, graduate and veterinary medicine studies. Also allows the degrees to be applied to agriculture-related industry and not just family farms.

House Bill 1151 (Coy, D-Cumberland) increases the loan amounts that can be forgiven under the Agricultural Education Loan Forgiveness Act and establishes specific amounts for undergraduate, graduate and veterinary medicine studies. Also allows the degrees to be applied to agriculture-related industry and not just family farms.

Senate Bill 673 (Waugh, R-York) allows first-year, full-time teachers in a public or private school agricultural program to qualify for the Agricultural Education Loan Forgiveness Program. It also expands educational criteria under which applicants could qualify.

House Bill 1273 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) provides up to $10,000 in college loans to eligible students from a state PRIDE Fund, and forgives up to $2,500 for each year the graduate remains in Pennsylvania. Those who move repay at 8 percent interest. The fund is bankrolled by up to $200 million a year from the personal income tax.

House Bill 1274 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) forgives student loans to eligible graduates who teach in Pennsylvania urban public schools. Each year of teaching increases the amount of loan forgiveness, up to $15,000 for a four-year commitment.

House Bill 1282 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) grants $2,500 a year up to $10,000 over four years for higher education to academically qualifying high school seniors who want to become teachers.

Senate Bill 708 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) allows those in the Early Childhood Education Loan Forgiveness program to work in a family child day care home or Head Start program. It also changes some degree and certificate requirements for eligibility and allows participants to earn less than $26,000 instead of $15,000.

House Bill 1530 (Petrone, D-Allegheny) establishes a loan forgiveness program for mental health/mental retardation staff members working in a county program or for a private provider under contract with a county. Those with two- or four-year degrees could have loans forgiven up to $5,000 in one year or up to $20,000 in four years.

Senate Bill 917 (O’Pake, D-Berks) forgives student loans of up to $15,000 over four years for new teachers in designated Pennsylvania urban school districts.

Senate Bill 905 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) requires scholarship organizations to provide information on the number and amount of awards and the types of schools the recipients attend to determine if the tax credit scholarship program is properly using the credits.
School Administration

House Bill 496 (Metcalfe, R-Butler) prevents the state from penalizing a superintendent for following a school board directive if he believed his actions were legal.

House Bill 1628 (Butkovitz, D-Philadelphia) makes the School Reform Commission the only entity to establish rules and procedures in distressed first class school districts.

School Admission

House Bill 356 (Frankel, D-Allegheny) allows nonresident pupils to attend a Philadelphia School District’s high school for the performing arts if vacancies can’t be filled by residents.

UM – House Bill 414 (Dally, R-Northampton) requires immunization for Hepatitis B for school attendance after Aug. 1, 2003. It already is required for children entering school after Aug. 1, 1997.

UM – House Bill 381 (Youngblood, D-Philadelphia) provides for educational guardianship.

House Bill 614 (DeLuca, D-Allegheny) makes it a third-degree misdemeanor with a $300 fine for anyone to knowingly provide false information on a sworn statement of residency for a child to enroll in a school district. The person also would have to repay the district what it spent to educate the student in question.

Senate Bill 741 (Wagner, D-Allegheny) allows nonresident students to attend a Philadelphia School District school for the performing arts if openings exist and no qualified resident applied.

School Boards

UM – Senate Bill 82 (Mowery, R-Cumberland) requires school boards in second, third and fourth class districts to hold a public hearing before voting on a replacement for a board vacancy.

House Bill 833 (Maitland, R-Adams) provides for non-partisan school board elections.

Senate Bill 500 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) requires school board members to be trained and certified in their duties by the Education Department within nine months of their election or else resign the seat.

Senate Bill 502 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) changes the terms of school directors in second, third and fourth class school districts from four years to six years.

House Bill 1013 (Barrar, R-Delaware) allows school board members to be paid up to $15,000 per year.

House Bill 1856 (Scrimenti, D-Erie) exempts those circulating nominating petitions for school board from being a registered member of the designated political party.
School Employment Requirements

House Bill 861 (Blaum, D-Luzerne) prevents schools from hiring anyone ever convicted of certain crimes, including murder and rape, instead of only those convicted within five years of the date of the background check.

House Bill 856 (Blaum, D-Luzerne) further redefines school police officers, security officers and attendance officers and mandates reports and officer training.

Senate Bill 882 (Orie, R-Allegheny) allows private schools to require employees to get child abuse clearance statements as a condition of their continued employment. It does not affect public schools.

Senate Bill 883 (R-Orie) allows private schools to obtain a criminal history record on employees as a condition of their continued employment. It does not affect public schools.

Senate Bill 886 (Stack, D-Philadelphia) prevents individuals convicted of certain crimes, such as murder, assault and kidnapping, from working in a public or private schools, vo-techs or intermediate units. Current law bars employment only if an offense occurred in the five years preceding the report’s date.

House Bill 1962 (Blaum, D-Luzerne) allows private schools to require employees to obtain an official clearance statement as a condition of continued employment.

House Bill 1963 (Blaum, D-Luzerne) allows private schools to require employees to obtain a state police or FBI criminal history record report as a condition of continued employment.

School Facilities

House Bill 670 (Egolf, R-Perry) requires General Assembly members to provide illustrated copies of the National Flag Code to requesting school districts to fulfill mandated teaching requirements on May 1, National Loyalty Day.

House Bill 931 (Browne, R-Lehigh) further provides for approved reimbursable rental for leases and approved reimbursable sinking fund charges on debt.

School Funding

House Bill 228 (Caltagirone, D-Berks) levies a 2.8 percent income tax to fund public schools, eliminating reliance on other tax revenue, such as property tax.

UM – Senate Bill 298 (Wagner, D-Allegheny) allows certain eligible individuals, mainly senior citizens, to volunteer at their local school district and receive in return a credit against school taxes. Districts could obtain state grants to cover some of the losses.

UM – Senate Bill 193 (Boscola, D-Northampton) prohibits school districts from levying or collecting real property taxes after Dec. 31, 2003. The bill establishes no other funding source.

House Bill 677 (Herman, R-Centre) gives school districts the option, through a referendum, to cut property taxes with a homestead exemption, millage rate cut or both and replace the revenue by increasing the per capita tax to $100, increasing the earned income tax or adding a personal income tax.

House Bill 578 (Fairchild, R-Union) gives school districts a 30-day budget extension if the state budget is passed after June 15.

House Bill 800 (Micozzie, R-Delaware) transforms the way Pennsylvania funds its public schools based on the principles of adequacy, equity, accountability, and predictability. For detailed information, please visit our Featured Campaign page.

Senate Bill 499 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) prevents a school district from adopting budgets with an estimated ending unreserved fund balance of more than 10 percent of its total budget expenditures. If the actual balance does exceed 10 percent, the excess first must be used to offset property tax increases. The remainder must rebate property taxes.

House Bill 966 (Roberts, D-Fayette) institutes a sales tax for school district funding at a rate determined by the Revenue Department and prevents districts from collecting property taxes. The Education Department annually determines the percentage of the fund each district receives based on the statewide education cost per student.

House Bill 991 (Stairs, R-Westmoreland) creates the Keystone Education Foundation as a public nonprofit corporation to raise public and private funds for education programs in public schools. Businesses can receive tax credits for their contributions.

UM – Senate Bill 100 (Jubelirer, R-Blair) allows school districts to impose earned income and net profits tax after voter approval through referendum.

House Bill 1035 (Reed, R-Indiana) institutes an extra .55 percent personal income tax to be distributed quarterly to school districts to decrease their property taxes. Districts also can increase their earned income tax rate if voters approve eliminating property taxes in a referendum.

House Bill 1194 (Hess, R-Bedford/Fulton) initiates a pilot program allowing senior citizens to volunteer in their local schools in exchange for a property tax credit worth $5 for an hour of time. The volunteer activity must enhance the academic program in the 12 districts.

UM – Senate Bill 590 (Piccola, R-Dauphin) requires voter approval of school districts’ proposed budget.

House Bill 1145 (Lewis, R-Monroe) establishes a two-year reduction of school district property taxes, which would be replaced in part by a 1 percent increase in each of the sales, use and hotel taxes.

UM – Senate Bill 680 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) prohibits school districts from increasing property taxes unless they have an estimated ending unreserved fund balance of 8 percent or less of total budgeted expenditures.

House Bill 1323 (Coy, D-Franklin) allows the state Education Department to reward school districts for meeting certain performance targets.

House Bill 1430 (Leach, D-Montgomery) requires Philadelphia School District to reduce resident and nonresident wage tax by the same percentage and maintain the deductions, and follow an additional schedule of reductions in order to obtain money for a Property Tax Relief Fund.

House Bill 1292 (Roebuck, D-Philadelphia) – provides a formula for the state to calculate anamount each school district must use to cut property taxes in 2003-04. Cuts range from 30 percent to 60 percent. The bill also provides a formula for basic education funding for 2002-03, adds a funding formula for Small District Assistance in 2002-03 and special education funding for 03-04.

House Bill 1297 (Grucela, D-Northampton) appropriates $204.99 million for three years for student achievement programs including tutoring programs, rural teacher retention, staff development and family resource centers.

House Bill 1513 (Phillips, R-Northumberland) allows a tax credit for activities that are a part of a company’s normal course of business under the educational improvement organization.

House Bill 1551 (Gannon, R-Delaware) appropriates $8 million for technology for nonpublic schools.

Senate Bill 791 (Fumo, D-Philadelphia) establishes a formula to calculate school funding and property tax reductions, guaranteeing cuts between 15 percent and 60 percent. Also provides for small district assistance, special education and other funding items.

Senate Bill 780 (Mellow, D-Lackawanna) provides for property tax cuts and establishes a Property Tax Relief Trust Fund to cover the reductions. Fund income is generated by a portion of tax revenue from phone, telegraph and commercial mobile radio services; a slot machine wagering revenue tax; an increased malt beverage tax; and surcharges on various traffic and drunk driving violations.

House Bill 1504 (Armstrong, R-Lancaster) allows the state to withhold funding if school districts fail to pay interest under an interest rate management agreement.

House Bill 1561 (Lewis, R-Monroe/Pike) creates financial criteria for establishing and publishing a Taxpayer Watch list of school districts that must reduce their estimated ending unreserved surpluses below 6 percent to continue to receive state funding. Districts that want to raise property taxes also must meet this figure.

House Bill 1585 (Sather, R-Blair/Huntingdon/Mifflin) appropriates $2 million to the Education Department for basic education-higher education science partnerships for 2003-04.

House Bill 1586 (Sather, R-Blair/Huntingdon/Mifflin) amends the proposed General Fund budget to appropriate $2 million for basic education-higher education science partnerships for 2003-04.

House Bill 1601 (Hanna, D-Centre/Clinton) subjects state or federal forest reserve land to an annual charge of 80 cents an acre, instead of 40, payable to the county, school district and township where land is located.

House Bill 1603 (Hanna, D-Centre/Clinton) establishes a formula to reimburse school districts for revenues lost on tax-exempt properties within their boundaries.

Senate Bill 754 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) levies a 2 percent income tax to fund public education, establishes an Educational Trust Fund and details formulas for determining state aid which consider a district’s wealth.

House Bill 1673 (Sather, R-Blair/Huntingdon/Mifflin) appropriates $150,000 for the National Science Olympiad.

House Bill 1677 (Lewis, R-Monroe/Pike) prevents schools from receiving less money than the previous year for instructional payments.

House Bill 1678 (Lewis, R-Monroe/Pike) further provides for reimbursement definitions.

House Bill 1679 (Lewis, R-Monroe/Pike) prevents schools from receiving less than the previous year for courses for exceptional children.

House Bill 1681 (Lewis, R-Monroe/Pike) prohibits school districts from increasing real estate taxes.

House Bill 1704 (Stern, R-Blair) appropriates $3.7 million to the Education Department for a New Choices/New Options program for 2003-04.

House Bill 1705 (Stern, R-Blair) appropriates $2 million to the Education Department for a New Choices/New Options program.

House Bill 1735 (R. Miller, R-York) provides basic education funding for the 2002-03 school year and provides a formula by which schools must reduce property taxes for the 2003-04 year.

House Bill 1797 (Sainato, D-Beaver/Lawrence) gives .25 percent of the state tax for education to counties for economic development and infrastructure refurbishing each quarter.

House Resolution 407 (Tigue, D-Luzerne/Monroe) urges the president and Congress to become more responsible fiscal partners in education funding.

House Bill 2508 (Waters, D-Philadelphia) requires state appropriations for education that otherwise would lapse at the end of fiscal years to be added to the subsequent fiscal year’s appropriation. It also requires the state to reimburse districts for the cost of loans needed to continue school operations when there is a state budget impasse.

School Year

Senate Bill 19 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) requires public schools to open for the first day of school no earlier than the first Tuesday after Labor Day.

House Bill 1354 (LaGrotta, D-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) allows schools to achieve 180 days of instruction either by using all available days through June 30, 2003 or computing instruction time on an hourly basis, in response to severe winter weather. Schools making a good faith effort can’t have their subsidy reduced. Employees can’t be docked for absence or paid extra for attendance during school closings in the 2003 weather emergency.

House Bill 1680 (Lewis R-Monroe/Pike) allows school boards to institute double-shifting, stacked sessions or year-round schooling.

Special Education

Senate Bill 66 (Tomlinson, R-Bucks) provides for special education services for nonpublic school students.

UM – Senate Bill 86 (Mowery, R-Cumberland) allows, in cases when a non-resident special education child is placed in the home of a resident of another district, the district to charge the district of residence a special education charge plus the tuition charge. If a district of residence can’t be determined, the Education Department would pay.

House Bill 40 (Rubley, R-Chester) makes the state pay for all special education costs for exceptional children with disabilities. The bill creates an Office of Special Education within the Education Department and addresses payments for gifted students.

House Resolution 147 (Scrimenti, D-Erie) creates a nine-member Select Committee to Study Autism, focusing on the availability or lack of services for autistic children.

UM – Senate Bill 503 (Rhoades, R-Schuylkill) requires intermediate units to establish and administer academic improvement programs for eligible school districts.

UM – House Bill 923 (Browne, R-Lehigh) allows seventh and eighth graders to use educational support services and requires the service providers not to seek payment directly from the grant recipient.
Student Health

UM – Senate Bill 42 (Orie, R-Allegheny) would train certain school employees in the care needed for diabetic students and require certain children to file a diabetes health care plan with their district.

Senate Bill 196 (A. Williams, D-Philadelphia) prohibits adult tobacco use in public school buildings, buses, grounds and other areas.

UM – Senate Bill 269 (Musto, D-Luzerne) mandates school cafeterias have at least one food service employee certified to administer CPR and present when meals are served.

UM – House Bill 374 (Youngblood, D-Philadelphia) requires physicals and certain paperwork be completed for student participation in sports; changes grades in which schools must give physicals and dental exams; and requires a school nurse to be responsible for no more than 750 children instead of 1,500.

UM – Senate Bill 505 (Conti, R-Bucks) changes the years when a health exam is required in schools, adds an exam in eighth grade, and details required information on a student’s health record.

UM – House Bill 996 (Washington, D-Philadelphia) requires school boards to adopt a policy that prohibits school personnel from recommending the use of psychotropic drugs for school children.

House Bill 1016 (Barrar, R-Delaware) prevents school employees or officials from recommending a child use psychotropic or sympathomimetic drugs.

House Bill 1187 (Wansacz, D-Lackawanna) requires a Health Department task force on toxic mold to investigate mold and its health hazards in homes, schools and buildings, and advise the department on exposure limits and remediation methods.

UM – House Bill 1510 (Josephs, D-Philadelphia) requires public and private schools to provide diabetes training to at least three employees, who do not have to be nurses, and all bus drivers at schools attended by a diabetic student. Students must submit a health care management plan and can be allowed to maintain their diabetes themselves.

Senate Bill 749 (Wonderling, R-Bucks/Lehigh/Montgomery/Northampton) allows school nurses, emergency responders and others to possess and administer epinephrine and other drugs for severe allergic reactions.

House Resolution 334 (Thomas, D-Philadelphia) urges school districts to refrain from entering into exclusive carbonated beverage contracts because of poor nutrition and health problems associated with children’s soda consumption.

House Resolution 335 (Lederer, D-Philadelphia) urges the School Reform Commission of Philadelphia and school districts statewide to refrain from entering into exclusive beverage provision contracts with soda beverage companies, citing childhood obesity problems. The resolution notes the commission signed such a contract.
Substitute Teachers

House Bill 220 (Dally, R-Northampton) allows school district superintendents to issue interim permits to individuals for day-to-day substitute teaching. It is not intended to be used during a work stoppage.

Teacher Qualifications

Senate Bill 281 (Schwartz, D-Philadelphia) requires the Education Department to establish certification requirements for English as a second language teachers.

House Resolution 93 (Cruz, D-Philadelphia) directs the Education Department to require certification of bilingual teachers in public and charter schools.

House Bill 958 (Armstrong, R-Lancaster) repeals provisions relating to professional teacher assessment.

House Bill 1913 (Vance, R-Cumberland) allows certified registered nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants, in addition to doctors, to sign health forms required for teachers to acquire a certificate.

Testing

UM – House Bill 502 (Yewcic, D-Cambria) requires the state to use at least six achievement tests in addition to the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test or the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment test to determine eligible students for the education support services program.

House Bill 1468 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) excludes the PSSA test scores of students with limited English proficiency from calculations that determine if a school is placed on the empowerment list if the student has not received appropriate English as a Second Language or bilingual education for a year.

House Bill 1293 (Sturla, D-Lancaster) provides money to school districts for tutoring programs for students in kindergarten through 11th grade who score below the basic level of performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests in reading and math.

House Bill 1324 (Grucela, D-Northampton) provides grants to schools that do not meet performance targets for two consecutive years to develop and implement a school improvement plan.
Transportation

House Bill 125 (Hershey, R-Chester) changes state payments for pupil transportation for school districts that buy, operate or contract for dedicated alternative fuel vehicles. The bill also addresses minimum school building design standards under the Green Building Rating System.

UM – Senate Bill 250 (O’Pake, D-Berks) requires school buses be marked for rooftop identification and be equipped with satellite tracking systems.

UM – House Bill 369 (T. Stevenson, R-Allegheny ) requires school buses to be equipped with retractable seat belts and requires they be used by all riders.

House Bill 451 (McNaughton, R-Dauphin) further defines school bus.

Senate Bill 516 (Greenleaf, R-Montgomery) requires the state Transportation Department to study school zone safety with special emphasis on the effectiveness of and needed changes to indicators and speed limits in school zones.

House Bill 1243 (Melio, D-Bucks) makes it illegal for school bus drivers to use a mobile phone while driving the bus.

House Bill 1414 (Freeman, D-Northampton) allows exterior identification markings on the front, rear and top of a school bus if they do no obscure the “school bus” labels.

UM – House Bill 1447 (Creighton, R-Lancaster) requires at least 18 inches for each seating space on a school bus. The buses also must make provisions for sporting and musical equipment for students in grade 4 or higher.

UM – House Bill 1315 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) equips school buses with a video camera to record images of vehicles that pass it illegally.

Vocational Education

House Bill 294 (Stairs, R-Fayette) establishes the Vocational and Technical Education Marketing Strategy and advisory committee, in accordance with recommendations of the Keystone Commission on Education for Employment in the 21st Century (H.R. 16 of 2001).