HB 1663 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, establishing the Statewide Children's Literacy Program and the Children's Literacy Program of Pennsylvania Restricted Account; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.

PRINTER'S NO.   2031

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1663
                                                  Session of
                                                    2025

     INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, KHAN, HOWARD, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS,
        FREEMAN, FRANKEL, OTTEN, WEBSTER, CERRATO, GREEN, O'MARA,
        DAVIDSON AND POWELL, JUNE 25, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, JUNE 25, 2025


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," establishing the Statewide
 6      Imagination Library Program and the Imagination Library of
 7      Pennsylvania Restricted Account; and imposing duties on the
 8      Department of Education.
 9      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10   hereby enacts as follows:
11      Section 1.     The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
12   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
13   article to read:
14                              ARTICLE XXIII-B
15                   STATEWIDE IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAM
16   Section 2301-B.    Definitions.
17      The following words and phrases when used in this article
18   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19   context clearly indicates otherwise:
20      "Account."     The Imagination Library of Pennsylvania
 1   Restricted Account established under section 2302-B.
 2      "Department."    The Department of Education of the
 3   Commonwealth.
 4      "Eligible child."     A child who resides within the
 5   Commonwealth and is under five years of age.
 6      "Program."     The Statewide Imagination Library Program
 7   established under section 2303-B.
 8      "Qualified local entity."     An existing or new local Dolly
 9   Parton's Imagination Library program partner.
10   Section 2302-B.    Imagination Library of Pennsylvania Restricted
11                 Account.
12      (a)     Establishment.--The Imagination Library of Pennsylvania
13   Restricted Account is established as a restricted account in the
14   General Fund. Money in the account is appropriated to the
15   department on a continuing basis for the purposes of this
16   article.
17      (b)     Funding.--The State Treasurer may accept appropriations,
18   transfers, gifts, grants, donations, legacies or any other
19   revenues, including allowable Federal funds, for deposit into
20   the account.
21      (c)     Allocation.--Money from the account shall be allocated
22   to qualified local entities that agree to a dollar-for-dollar
23   match for purposes of the program. The department may waive the
24   dollar-for-dollar match requirement for a qualified local entity
25   on a case-by-case basis to prevent undue financial hardship.
26      (d)     Money shall not lapse.--Money remaining in the account
27   at the close of the fiscal year shall not lapse but shall be
28   carried forward to the next fiscal year and be continuously
29   appropriated only for the purposes specified in this article.
30      (e)     Interest.--Any interest that accrues in the account

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 1   shall remain in the account.
 2   Section 2303-B.    Statewide Imagination Library Program.
 3      (a)   Establishment and purpose.--The Statewide Imagination
 4   Library Program is established in the department to promote the
 5   development of a comprehensive Statewide initiative to encourage
 6   children from birth to five years of age to develop a love of
 7   reading and learning.
 8      (b)   Providing books.--Qualified local entities shall use
 9   allocated money to provide one age-appropriate book to each
10   registered child from birth to five years of age in
11   participating counties. Books shall be sent monthly to each
12   child's home at no cost to families.
13      (c)   Matching.--In accordance with section 2302-B(c), the
14   department, if money is available, shall match the amount
15   required of local programs participating in the program.
16   Section 2304-B.    Duties of department.
17      (a)   Administration.--The department shall administer the
18   program and shall coordinate with a nonprofit entity, qualified
19   under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) (relating to exemption from tax on
20   corporations, certain trusts, etc.), and organized solely to
21   promote and encourage reading by the children of this
22   Commonwealth, for the purpose of implementing this article.
23      (b)   Oversight.--The department shall provide oversight to
24   the nonprofit entity in subsection (a) to do all of the
25   following:
26            (1)   Manage the daily operations of the program.
27            (2)   Promote the Statewide development of local Dolly
28      Parton's Imagination Library programs.
29            (3)   Advance and strengthen local Dolly Parton's
30      Imagination Library programs.

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 1            (4)   Develop community engagement initiatives.
 2            (5)   Develop, promote and coordinate a public awareness
 3      campaign to make donors aware of the opportunity to donate to
 4      the affiliate programs and make the public aware of the
 5      opportunity to register eligible children to receive books
 6      through the program.
 7            (6)   Administer the local match requirement and
 8      coordinate the collection and remittance of local program
 9      costs for books and mailing.
10            (7)   Develop Statewide marketing and communication plans.
11            (8)   Solicit donations, gifts and other funding to
12      financially support local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
13      programs.
14      (c)   Regulations.--The department may promulgate regulations
15   as needed for the administration of the program.
16   Section 2305-B.    Report.
17      The department shall prepare and submit to the General
18   Assembly, no later than January 1, 2026, and each January 1
19   thereafter, a report that includes the following:
20            (1)   The deposits made to, and expenditures made from,
21      the account.
22            (2)   Whether the department waived any local match
23      requirements.
24            (3)   How many local programs exist, where the programs
25      are located and which entity or organization serves as the
26      local partner.
27            (4)   How many children are enrolled in a program and how
28      many books those children have received.
29      Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.



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