HB 681 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school health services, further providing for health services, for reports and for interagency coordinating council for child health, nutrition and physical education; and, in terms and courses of study, further providing for physical education.

PRINTER'S NO.   695

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 681
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY OTTEN, PIELLI, HILL-EVANS, RABB, PROBST, GIRAL,
        KENYATTA, SANCHEZ, DALEY, GREEN, MADDEN AND CERRATO,
        FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, FEBRUARY 20, 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 school health services, further
 6      providing for health services, for reports and for
 7      interagency coordinating council for child health, nutrition
 8      and physical education.
 9      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10   hereby enacts as follows:
11      Section 1.    Section 1402(a) and (f) of the act of March 10,
12   1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
13   are amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to
14   read:
15      Section 1402.    Health Services.--(a)   Each child of school
16   age shall be given by methods established by the Advisory Health
17   Board, (1) a hearing test by a school nurse or medical
18   technician, (2) a measurement of height and weight by a school
19   nurse or [teacher] other trained health care practitioner, who
20   shall collect that information in a manner that protects student
 1   confidentiality and shall only use the measurement to compute a
 2   child's [weight-for-height ratio] growth pattern, (3) tests for
 3   tuberculosis under medical supervision, and (4) such other tests
 4   as the Advisory Health Board may deem advisable to protect the
 5   health of the child.
 6      * * *
 7      (a.3)   A student shall be exempt from measurement of height
 8   and weight if the student's parent or guardian requests an
 9   exemption in writing.
10      * * *
11      (f)   The Secretary of Health, upon petition of the school
12   board or joint school board or on his own initiative with the
13   concurrence of the school board or joint school board, may
14   modify for individual school districts the school health
15   services program specified in this section, except for
16   provisions under subsections (a)(2) and (a.3). The program as
17   modified shall conform to approved medical or dental practices
18   and shall permit valid statistical appraisals of the various
19   components of the program.
20      * * *
21      Section 2.   Section 1408 of the act is amended to read:
22      Section 1408.   Reports.--(a)   Every school district of the
23   Commonwealth or school districts jointly, school physicians,
24   school dentists and school nurses, shall file with the Secretary
25   of Health and/or the Superintendent of Public Instruction such
26   reports as required by the regulations of the two departments.
27      (b)   Height and weight measurements shall not be calculated
28   and reported as body mass index and may only be reported as
29   aggregate information from a scientifically drawn sample of
30   students in a manner that protects student confidentiality.

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 1      Section 3.   Section 1422.2(a) and (d) of the act are amended
 2   and subsection (c) is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
 3      Section 1422.2.   Interagency Coordinating Council for Child
 4   Health, Nutrition and Physical Education.--(a)   The Secretary of
 5   Education, the Secretary of Health, the Secretary of Human
 6   Services and the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish an
 7   interagency coordinating council which shall annually review,
 8   revise and publish a Pennsylvania Child Wellness Plan to promote
 9   child health, nutrition and physical education. The council
10   shall be composed of employes of the Department of Education,
11   the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services and
12   the Department of Agriculture. The Secretary of Education shall
13   appoint the chairman of the council.
14      * * *
15      (c)   In the initial publication of the Pennsylvania Child
16   Wellness Plan to promote child health, nutrition and physical
17   education, the council shall integrate the contents of the
18   Pennsylvania Nutrition and Activity Plan to Prevent Obesity and
19   Related Chronic Diseases and shall include additional
20   recommendations regarding:
21      * * *
22      (7)   The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education
23   program to improve the likelihood that families with children
24   eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will
25   make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose
26   physically active lifestyles.
27      (d)   The council shall submit the plan to the Secretary of
28   Education, the Secretary of Health and the Secretary of
29   Agriculture no later than May 1, 2007, and May 1 of each year
30   thereafter. The Secretary of Education shall submit the final

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 1   plan to the Governor, the President pro tempore of the Senate,
 2   the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
 3   Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
 4   Representatives by June 1, 2007, and June 1 of each year
 5   thereafter. The final plan shall be included on the [Department
 6   of Education's, Department of Health's and Department of
 7   Agriculture's Internet websites.] publicly accessible Internet
 8   websites of the Department of Education, Department of Health,
 9   Department of Human Services and Department of Agriculture.
10      Section 4.   This act shall take effect immediately.




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