HR 273 — A Resolution urging school districts to adopt later secondary school start times.

PRINTER'S NO.    2036

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 273
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY COOPER, BRIGGS, SANCHEZ, ROWE, BRENNAN, RIVERA,
        RABB, DIAMOND, D. WILLIAMS, WARREN, O'MARA, FREEMAN, ORTITAY,
        MIHALEK AND BOYD, JUNE 25, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 25, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Urging school districts to adopt later secondary school start
 2      times.
 3      WHEREAS, Numerous studies have shown that adolescents,
 4   particularly high school students, require an average of 8 to 10
 5   hours of sleep per night for optimal physical and mental health,
 6   academic performance and overall well-being; and
 7      WHEREAS, Hormonal changes during puberty dramatically change
 8   sleep-wake rhythms and teens become biologically hardwired to be
 9   "night owls"; and
10      WHEREAS, Ninety-eight percent of Pennsylvania secondary
11   schools begin before the medically recommended 8:30 a.m.,
12   preventing students from achieving the necessary quality and
13   duration of sleep due to too early start times; and
14      WHEREAS, According to the 2021 Centers for Disease Control
15   and Prevention (CDC) National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 84% of
16   Pennsylvania school students are not getting adequate sleep,
17   ranking Pennsylvania's youths among the nation's most sleep-
 1   deprived; and
 2         WHEREAS, Research conducted by the CDC and the American
 3   Academy of Pediatrics has found that later start times are
 4   associated with improved academic performance, reduced tardiness
 5   and lower rates of absenteeism; and
 6         WHEREAS, Students who get adequate sleep are better able to
 7   focus, retain information and engage in class, leading to
 8   improved educational outcomes and a reduction in negative
 9   behaviors such as depression, anxiety, suicide ideation and
10   other mental health issues; and
11         WHEREAS, Delaying school start times can also improve student
12   safety, as well-rested students are less likely to be involved
13   in accidents while traveling to school and are better able to
14   manage their daily schedules, including after-school activities;
15   and
16         WHEREAS, At least 44 Pennsylvania school entities to date, as
17   well as many hundreds of others in at least 46 states, including
18   Massachusetts, Minnesota, California, Kentucky and Florida, have
19   successfully implemented later start times, demonstrating both
20   feasibility and sustained benefit; and
21         WHEREAS, A 2017 RAND study conservatively projects a boost to
22   Pennsylvania's economy of at least $1.2 billion after five years
23   of Statewide implementation due to reduced car crashes and
24   increased graduation rates; therefore be it
25         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge, as
26   recommended by the 2019 Pennsylvania Joint State Government
27   Commission Report entitled, Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: A
28   Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times, all school
29   districts in this Commonwealth to consider and adopt later
30   secondary school start times for the purpose of enhancing

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 1   student overall health, safety and academic success; and be it
 2   further
 3      RESOLVED, That school districts are encouraged to work with
 4   local health professionals, educators and parents to develop a
 5   balanced schedule that accommodates the diverse needs of
 6   students while maintaining essential educational and
 7   extracurricular activities; and be it further
 8      RESOLVED, That the Department of Education and the
 9   Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency are urged to
10   provide resources and support for school districts that are
11   exploring changes to school start times, and to engage in public
12   education campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of
13   adequate sleep for adolescents.




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