HB 1883 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in pupils and attendance, providing for chronic absence prevention and support.

PRINTER'S NO.   2344

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1883
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY GUZMAN, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL AND SANCHEZ,
        SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SEPTEMBER 29, 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 pupils and attendance, providing
 6      for chronic absence prevention and support.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11   section to read:
12      Section 1333.5.    Chronic Absence Prevention and Support.--(a)
13   Each school shall collect daily attendance data for each student
14   enrolled and report attendance using a standardized system to
15   the department in accordance with the following:
16      (1)    Attendance data shall include all absences,
17   disaggregated by grade, student group and reason for absence,
18   categorized by the following:
19      (i)    Satisfactory, meaning less than five percent (5%)
20   absent.
 1      (ii)     At-risk, meaning five percent (5%) to nine percent (9%)
 2   absent.
 3      (iii)    Moderate, meaning ten percent (10%) to nineteen
 4   percent (19%) absent.
 5      (iv)     Severe, meaning twenty percent (20%) or more absent.
 6      (2)    The department shall maintain a publicly accessible,
 7   real-time attendance dashboard for educators, policymakers,
 8   families and the public to ensure transparency and actionable
 9   insights.
10      (3)    The department shall produce an annual report
11   summarizing chronic absence trends, interventions implemented
12   and outcomes achieved across districts and schools.
13      (b)    Each school shall establish an SAIP aligned with an MTSS
14   to address chronic absence through prevention, early
15   intervention and targeted support. Each SAIP shall include:
16      (1)    Identification of students at risk of chronic absence.
17      (2)    Tiered interventions, increasing in intensity based on
18   student needs.
19      (3)    Coordination with counselors, social workers, teachers
20   and community partners.
21      (4)    Monitoring of progress, outcomes and equity measures.
22      (c)    An SAIP shall be developed collaboratively with
23   students, families of students and community stakeholders and
24   shall be reviewed at least twice per year.
25      (d)    A school shall:
26      (1)    Ensure that attendance interventions are culturally and
27   linguistically responsive, recognizing the diverse backgrounds
28   of students and families.
29      (2)    Actively engage families in the development and
30   implementation of an SAIP, providing guidance and resources to

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 1   address barriers to attendance.
 2      (e)     Additional support shall be provided to students from
 3   historically marginalized or vulnerable populations, including
 4   students of color, students with disabilities and students from
 5   low-income backgrounds, to address disparities in chronic
 6   absence.
 7      (f)     A school shall provide intervention and support
 8   strategies in accordance with the following:
 9      (1)     Schools shall prioritize supportive, restorative and
10   preventive measures over punitive actions to improve attendance,
11   including mentoring, counseling, academic supports,
12   transportation assistance and connection to community services.
13      (2)     Legal action or court involvement shall be used only as
14   a last resort, after all supportive interventions have been
15   exhausted and documented.
16      (g)     A school shall provide recognition and resource
17   allocation in accordance with the following:
18      (1)     Schools achieving meaningful reductions in chronic
19   absence shall be publicly recognized.
20      (2)     The department shall use attendance data to target
21   resources and technical assistance to schools most in need of
22   support.
23      (h)     The department shall provide implementation and
24   oversight in accordance with the following:
25      (1)     The department shall provide guidance, training and
26   technical assistance to support districts and schools in
27   adopting best practices and implementing an SAIP aligned with
28   MTSS.
29      (2)     The department shall monitor implementation, evaluate
30   effectiveness and recommend continuous improvements to the

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 1   framework.
 2      (i)   As used in this section, the following words and phrases
 3   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
 4   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 5      "Chronic absence."     A student missing ten percent (10%) or
 6   more of enrolled school days in a school year for any reason,
 7   including excused and unexcused absences.
 8      "MTSS."   A multitiered system of supports which is a
 9   framework of evidence-based academic, behavioral and social-
10   emotional supports provided at increasing levels of intensity
11   based on student needs.
12      "SAIP."   A school attendance improvement plan that a school
13   creates in accordance with this section designed to reduce
14   chronic absence and provide targeted supports.
15      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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