HB 354 — An Act providing for "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" guidelines for school entities; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.

PRINTER'S NO.    308

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 354
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, GLEIM, SANCHEZ, GREINER, HILL-EVANS,
        BURGOS, KENYATTA, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HADDOCK, MARCELL, KHAN,
        MALAGARI, DONAHUE, STEELE AND GREEN, JANUARY 27, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 27, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" guidelines for
 2      school entities; and imposing duties on the Department of
 3      Education.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the "What Is Your
 8   Pennsylvania Story" Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Department."    The Department of Education of the
14   Commonwealth.
15      "Guidelines."    The guidelines developed under section 3(a).
16      "Professional educator."    As defined in section 1205.2(o) of
17   the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
18   School Code of 1949.
 1      "School entity."     A school district, intermediate unit, area
 2   career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter
 3   school, regional charter school or nonpublic school.
 4      "Social studies."     As defined in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12(a)(3)
 5   (relating to academic standards).
 6      "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story."     The understanding and
 7   observance of religious freedom and the unique lived experiences
 8   that a student and the family of the student bring to the
 9   Pennsylvania story, which may include:
10            (1)   Awareness of views on an individual's ancestral
11      culture.
12            (2)   Attitudes on cultural differences.
13            (3)   Cross-cultural skills.
14   Section 3.     Guidelines.
15      (a)   Development and availability generally.--In anticipation
16   of the United States semiquincentennial and to the extent that
17   funding is available, the department shall develop and make
18   available to each school entity guidelines regarding "What Is
19   Your Pennsylvania Story" that the school entity may implement
20   for instruction in social studies.
21      (b)   Information and strategies.--The department shall
22   develop the guidelines in a manner that provides professional
23   educators who teach social studies with information and
24   strategies to be incorporated into instruction for the 2025-2026
25   and 2026-2027 school years to encourage students to share their
26   "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" as the United States
27   approaches its semiquincentennial.
28      (c)   Purpose.--The guidelines shall:
29            (1)   Enhance the ability of students to interact
30      effectively with one another as students in each county of

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 1    this Commonwealth with unique backgrounds united by one
 2    nation.
 3          (2)   Encourage students to become more historically and
 4    culturally aware of the unique heritage of religious freedoms
 5    in this Commonwealth.
 6    (d)   Mandatory contents.--The guidelines must include:
 7          (1)   The unique heritage of religious freedom of this
 8    Commonwealth, beginning with the voyage of William Penn to
 9    Pennsylvania.
10          (2)   The relationship between religious freedom and the
11    development of the Constitution of the United States.
12          (3)   Information on the United States and its progression
13    as a nation since 1776.
14          (4)   Students' experiences with how the students and
15    their families have navigated within the democracy of the
16    United States and embraced religious freedoms in the United
17    States.
18          (5)   The ability for students to share their "What Is
19    Your Pennsylvania Story."
20          (6)   The unique cultural differences of students that
21    stem from their ancestral family journeys to the United
22    States.
23    (e)   Discretionary contents.--The guidelines may include:
24          (1)   Materials that educate students by introducing the
25    students to various cultures through the stories that
26    students relay about who the students are and how their
27    families weave into the Pennsylvania and United States
28    experience.
29          (2)   Teaching aids that allow students to explore
30    cultures through food, art, books, movies, dance, traditions

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 1      and cross-cultural experiences.
 2            (3)   Resources that allow students to explore the
 3      cultural experiences of other people and the history,
 4      present-day experiences and connections related to American
 5      culture.
 6            (4)   Educational aids that provide students with
 7      information on the historical experiences of the inhabitants
 8      of this Commonwealth, including their experiences arriving in
 9      this Commonwealth and development over the years.
10      (f)   Notice.--Each school entity shall provide notice to all
11   parents and guardians of students in the school entity using
12   normal school communication procedures of the opportunity to
13   contribute to the guidelines.
14   Section 4.     Expiration.
15      This act shall expire at the conclusion of the 2026-2027
16   school year.
17   Section 5.     Effective date.
18      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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