SB 126 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in preliminary provisions, providing for special provisions applicable to 2025-2026 school year.

PRINTER'S NO.   75

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 126
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, ROTHMAN, FONTANA, PENNYCUICK, PHILLIPS-
        HILL, COSTA, ARGALL, J. WARD AND BROWN, JANUARY 22, 2025

     REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 22, 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 preliminary provisions, providing
 6      for special provisions applicable to 2025-2026 school year.
 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 135.     Special Provisions Applicable to 2025-2026
13   School Year.--(a)    Any university located in this Commonwealth
14   which authorizes, facilitates, provides for or otherwise
15   supports any event promoting antisemitism on the university
16   campus may not receive any source of funding from the
17   Commonwealth for the academic school year in which the
18   antisemitic event under this section occurs.
19      (b)   A university which has received any source of funding
20   prior to the date on which the university authorized,
 1   facilitated, provided for or otherwise supported an event under
 2   subsection (a) shall refund the Commonwealth the amount of
 3   funding received from the Commonwealth for the academic school
 4   year in which the event under subsection (a) occurred.
 5      (c)   Violations of this section shall be reported to the
 6   State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall
 7   schedule a hearing within thirty (30) days to evaluate the
 8   alleged violations of this section. Pending a majority vote by
 9   the State Board of Education, the university shall be subject to
10   the funding penalties outlined in this section.
11      (d)   As used in this section, the following words and phrases
12   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
13   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Antisemitism."   A certain perception of Jewish individuals,
15   which may be expressed as hatred toward Jewish individuals,
16   including rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism
17   that are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals or
18   their property, Jewish community institutions and religious
19   facilities. The term includes the following:
20      (1)   Calling for, aiding or justifying the killing or harming
21   of Jewish individuals in the name of a radical ideology or an
22   extremist view of religion.
23      (2)   Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing or
24   stereotypical allegations about Jewish individuals as such or
25   the power of people of Jewish faith as a collective, including
26   the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jewish
27   individuals controlling the media, economy, government or other
28   societal institutions.
29      (3)   Accusing Jewish individuals as a people of being
30   responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a

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 1   single Jewish individual or group or for acts committed by non-
 2   Jewish individuals.
 3         (4)    Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms or intentionality of
 4   the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National
 5   Socialist Germany, supporters and accomplices during World War
 6   II.
 7         (5)    Accusing people of Jewish faith, or Israel as a state,
 8   of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
 9         (6)    Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel,
10   or to the alleged priorities of Jewish individuals worldwide,
11   than to the interests of the individuals' nation.
12         (7)    Denying the Jewish people the right to self-
13   determination, including by claiming the existence of a state of
14   Israel is a racist endeavor.
15         (8)    Applying a double standard by requiring a behavior not
16   expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
17         (9)    Using the symbols and images associated with classic
18   antisemitism, including claims of Jewish individuals killing
19   Jesus or blood libel to characterize Israel or Israelis.
20         (10)    Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to
21   that of the Nazis.
22         (11)    Calling for the extermination of a Jewish state.
23         (12)    Holding people of Jewish faith collectively responsible
24   for actions of the state of Israel.
25         "Funding."    The term shall include:
26         (1)    Budget allocation.
27         (2)    Commonwealth grants received by the university.
28         "University."    As defined in 24 Pa.C.S. § 6503.1(f) (relating
29   to change of designation to university).
30         Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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