HB 1728 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in community colleges, further providing for definitions and for financial program and reimbursement of payments.

PRINTER'S NO.   2128

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1728
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, MARCELL, McNEILL, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL,
        DEASY, MADDEN, HOWARD, KAZEEM, SANCHEZ, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
        MALAGARI, SCOTT, D. WILLIAMS, STEELE, PUGH, GREEN, CIRESI,
        CERRATO, GILLEN AND DOUGHERTY, JULY 14, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JULY 14, 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," in community colleges, further
 6      providing for definitions and for financial program and
 7      reimbursement of payments.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    Section 1901-A of the act of March 10, 1949
11   (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
12   amended by adding clauses to read:
13      Section 1901-A.    Definitions.--The following words and
14   phrases, as used in this article, shall, unless a different
15   meaning is plainly required by the context, have the following
16   meaning:
17      * * *
18      (16)    "First responder" shall mean any of the following
19   public servants:
 1      (i)    An emergency medical services provider or EMS provider,
 2   as defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 8103 (relating to definitions), who
 3   is an active volunteer, employe or member of an emergency
 4   medical service company that is:
 5      (A)    designated by a municipality as the municipality's
 6   primary emergency medical service provider; or
 7      (B)    dispatched by a public safety answering point as defined
 8   in 35 Pa.C.S. § 5302 (relating to definitions) or in accordance
 9   with a mutual aid agreement under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7504 (relating to
10   coordination, assistance and mutual aid).
11      (ii)     An active volunteer, employe or member of a fire
12   company as defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7802 (relating to
13   definitions) who responds to emergency calls.
14      (iii)     A Pennsylvania State Police officer.
15      (iv)     A peace officer as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 501
16   (relating to definitions) who responds to emergency calls.
17      (17)     "First responder training program" shall mean a for-
18   credit, two-year or less-than-two-year occupational or technical
19   program to prepare students to enter first responder
20   occupations.
21      (18)     "Noncredit first responder training courses" shall mean
22   noncredit courses provided off-campus, on-campus or through any
23   form of distance education for the specific purpose of providing
24   opportunities for students and incumbent workers to develop or
25   upgrade skills necessary in first responder occupations.
26      Section 2.     Section 1913-A(k.1)(2)(iii) of the act is amended
27   and subsection (b) is amended by adding clauses to read:
28      Section 1913-A.     Financial Program; Reimbursement of
29   Payments.
30      * * *

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 1      (b)     * * *
 2      (1.9)     For the 2025-2026 fiscal year and each fiscal year
 3   thereafter, the payment for a community college shall consist of
 4   the following:
 5      (i)     An amount equal to the allocation the community college
 6   received from the amount appropriated for community colleges in
 7   the immediately preceding fiscal year.
 8      (ii)     An enrollment-based allocation to be calculated as
 9   follows:
10      (A)     Subtract the amount allocated in subclause (i) from the
11   amount appropriated for community colleges.
12      (B)     Multiply the audited full-time equivalent enrollment as
13   verified under subsection (k.1) for the most recent year
14   available for the community college by the difference in
15   paragraph (A).
16      (C)     Divide the product in paragraph (B) by the sum of the
17   audited full-time equivalent enrollment as verified under
18   subsection (k.1) for the most recent year available for all
19   community colleges.
20      (1.10)     For the 2025-2026 fiscal year and each fiscal year
21   thereafter, each community college shall receive a first
22   responder training allocation to be calculated as follows:
23      (i)     Determine a weighted first responder training enrollment
24   for each community college by calculating the sum of the
25   following based upon the most recent year available:
26      (A)     The audited full-time equivalent students enrolled in a
27   first responder training program at the community college
28   multiplied by 1.50.
29      (B)     The audited full-time equivalent students enrolled in
30   noncredit first responder training courses at the community

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 1   college.
 2      (ii)     Multiply the weighted first responder training
 3   enrollment in subclause (i) for each community college by the
 4   amount appropriated for community colleges for first responder
 5   training.
 6      (iii)     Divide the product in subclause (ii) by the sum of the
 7   weighted first responder training enrollment in subclause (i)
 8   for all community colleges.
 9      * * *
10      (k.1)     * * *
11      (2)     The audited financial statement required under clause
12   (1) shall include:
13      * * *
14      (iii)     a verification of equivalent full-time students
15   enrolled in the community college in each of the following
16   categories: credit, noncredit, first responder training programs
17   and courses and each economic development stipend category,
18   during the fiscal year for which the audited financial statement
19   is presented.
20      * * *
21      Section 3.     This act shall take effect July 1, 2025, or
22   immediately, whichever is later.




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