HB 387 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in student supports, providing for parental notification.

PRINTER'S NO.   352

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 387
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY K.HARRIS, BURGOS, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL, M. MACKENZIE,
        SANCHEZ, NEILSON, McNEILL, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, A. BROWN, KENYATTA
        AND WEBSTER, JANUARY 28, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 28, 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 student supports, providing for
 6      parental notification.
 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 1314-A.    Parental Notification.--(a)    Each school
13   entity shall adopt a policy and procedure for notifying, in a
14   timely manner, all parents, guardians or custodial parents of
15   students in the school entity who:
16      (1)   Are involved in incidents which are required to be
17   reported in the school safety report submitted to the Department
18   of Education.
19      (2)   Incur other serious injuries on school property, on the
 1   school bus or at a school activity.
 2      (b)     Notification under subsection (a) may be in person, by
 3   telephone, by email, by text message or by certified mail. A
 4   school entity shall make a reasonable effort to notify a parent,
 5   guardian or custodial parent in the preferred manner indicated
 6   on the contact information of the parent, guardian or custodial
 7   parent. The preferred method of notification must be documented.
 8   In the event of a school or districtwide emergency, the school
 9   entity may use alternative methods to notify parents, guardians
10   or custodial parents.
11      (c)     Each school entity must maintain current contact
12   information for each parent, guardian or custodial parent. The
13   contact information must allow parents, guardians and custodial
14   parents to identify a preferred method of contact if
15   notification under subsection (a) is required.
16      (d)     Each school entity shall provide training regarding the
17   requirements of this section to all staff who come into contact
18   with children. The training shall include recognizing incidents
19   that trigger the notification requirement, the school entity's
20   policy and procedure for notification and the recordkeeping and
21   reporting requirements. Training required under this section may
22   be incorporated with other training and in-service activities of
23   the school entity.
24      (e)     All incidents that are required to be reported under
25   section 1319-B(b) shall be subject to the requirements of this
26   section.
27      (f)     The Secretary of Education may withhold State payments
28   to any school entity that fails to comply with this section.
29      (g)     As used in this section, the term "parents, guardians or
30   custodial parents of students" shall mean parents, guardians or

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1   custodial parents of students who are either perpetrators or
2   victims of incidents which:
3      (1)   Are required to be reported in the school safety report
4   submitted to the Department of Education.
5      (2)   Result in any other injuries occurring on school
6   property, the school bus or at a school activity.
7      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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