2021–2022 Regular Session

House Bill 1642

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, further providing for Keystone Exams and graduation requirements, for special provisions applicable to the Keystone Exams, graduation requirements and alternative competency assessment and for Special Education Funding Commission and providing for Commission on Education and Economic Competitiveness; in grounds and buildings, further providing for limitation on new applications for Department of Education approval of public school building projects; in professional employees, providing for locally titled positions; in certification of teachers, providing for out-of-State applicants for career and technical education certification, further providing for program of continuing professional education and for continuing professional education for school or system leaders, providing for teacher support in the Structured Literacy Program, repealing provisions relating to certificates issued by other states and providing for out-of-State applicants for certification and for prekindergarten through grade twelve dance certificate; in pupils and attendance, further providing for definitions, for Home Education Program, for assisting students experiencing education instability, for Nonprofit School Food Program, for exceptional children and education and training and for extended special education enrollment due to COVID-19; in school safety and security, further providing for School Safety and Security Committee, providing for survey of school mental health services, further providing for School Safety and Security Grant Program, for school safety and security coordinator and for school safety and security training and providing for school safety and security grants for 2022-2023 school year, for school mental health grants for 2022-2023 school year, for school safety and security coordinator training, for school safety and security training in educator, administrator and supervisory preparatory programs and for School-based Mental Health Internship Grant Program; in threat assessment, further providing for threat assessment teams; in school health services, further providing for health services; in Drug and Alcohol Recovery High School Pilot Program, further providing for definitions, for establishment of Drug and Alcohol Recovery High School Pilot Program and for scope of program and selection of students, repealing provisions relating to term of Drug and Alcohol Recovery High School Pilot Program and further providing for reporting; in terms and courses of study, further providing for agreements with institutions of higher education; providing for talent recruitment and establishing the Committee on Education Talent Recruitment, the Talent Recruitment Grant Program and the Talent Recruitment Account; providing for educational and professional development online course initiative, establishing the Online Course Clearinghouse Account and imposing penalties; in charter schools, providing for abolition of rulemaking and further providing for regulations; providing for disability inclusive curriculum and establishing the Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program; in career and technical education, providing for Cosmetology Training through Career and Technical Center Pilot Program and for Barber Training through Career and Technical Center Pilot Program; in community colleges, further providing for financial program and reimbursement of payments; in rural regional college for underserved counties, further providing for reports; in the State System of Higher Education, further providing for definitions, for establishment of the State System of Higher Education and its institutions, for board of governors and for council of trustees and providing for integrated councils; in educational tax credits, further providing for definitions, for qualification and application by organizations, for application by business firms, for tax credits, for limitations and for opportunity scholarships; in transfers of credits between institutions of higher education, further providing for definitions and for duties of public institutions of higher education; in sexual violence education at institutions of higher education, further providing for scope of article, for definitions and for education program, providing for consent to sexual activity, further providing for follow-up and for report and providing for memorandum of understanding; in miscellaneous provisions relating to institutions of higher education, further providing for Public Higher Education Funding Commission and providing for State-related university performance-based funding model and for prohibition on scholarship displacement at public institutions of higher education; in ready-to-succeed scholarship, further providing for agency; in funding for public libraries, providing for State aid for fiscal year 2022-2023; in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for payments on account of pupils enrolled in career and technical curriculums and for student-weighted basic education funding, providing for level-up supplement for 2021-2022 school year and further providing for payments to intermediate units, for special education payments to school districts, for assistance to school districts declared to be in financial recovery status or identified for financial watch status, for approved reimbursable rental for leases hereafter approved and approved reimbursable sinking fund charges on indebtedness and for Ready-to-Learn Block Grant; in construction and renovation of buildings by school entities, further providing for applicability; and making editorial changes.