Pennsylvania 2023-2024 Regular Session

Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB460

Introduced
3/16/23  
Refer
3/16/23  
Refer
5/3/23  
Report Pass
5/8/23  
Refer
5/9/23  
Report Pass
6/26/23  
Engrossed
6/27/23  

Caption

In preliminary provisions, establishing the Child Reunification Program in the Department of Education.

Impact

The bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to introduce this new program, thereby impacting education-related statutes by formalizing a systematic approach for identifying and locating missing children. The provision of these kits is designed to enhance child safety by enabling quicker response times in abduction cases. The Department of Education is tasked with overseeing the distribution of the kits and ensuring that sufficient resources are available annually for their provision.

Summary

Senate Bill 460 establishes the Child Reunification Program within the Pennsylvania Department of Education aimed at assisting in locating and returning missing children. This program mandates that starting from the 2023-2024 school year, school entities are to provide identification kits to the parents or legal guardians of eligible children enrolled in first grade at no cost. The identification kits consist of inkless fingerprint and DNA collection materials that can be submitted to law enforcement in the event that the child goes missing.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding SB460 appears to be generally positive, with many legislators expressing support for initiatives that prioritize child safety. This trend is reflected in the bill's approval trajectory, which garnered significant bipartisan support during its passage through committee and floor votes. However, there is an undercurrent of concern regarding privacy implications, particularly related to the collection and storage of personal data included in the identification kits.

Contention

Notable points of contention include the potential for misuse of the information collected via the identification kits and the adequacy of resources dedicated to the program’s implementation. Critics have voiced concerns about how the data will be managed, given that the bill specifies that the information recorded in these kits is not a public record. Ensuring the integrity of this program while safeguarding the privacy of children and their families remains a key focus of the discussions surrounding this bill.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

PA SB565

In preliminary provisions, providing for student data privacy and protection; imposing duties on the Department of Education; and providing for penalties.

PA SB300

In preliminary provisions, providing for public job posting database, for instructional vacancy data and for data transparency; and establishing the Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program.

PA HB1331

In preliminary provisions, providing for public job posting database, for instructional vacancy data and for data transparency; and establishing the Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program.

PA SB1057

Providing for the Educational Freedom Act Program; and establishing the Educational Freedom Act Fund and educational freedom accounts.

PA SB378

In preliminary provisions, providing for student data privacy and protection; conferring powers and imposing duties on the Department of Education; and imposing penalties.

PA HB27

In preliminary provisions, further providing for Basic Education Funding Commission and for special provisions applicable to limited school years, establishing the Child Reunification Program in the Department of Education and providing for minimum number of days or hours, for public job posting database, for instructional vacancy data and for data transparency; in duties and powers of boards of school directors, further providing for additional schools and departments; in school finances, providing for school district budget timeline for 2024 and for procedure for securing approval of electors; in grounds and buildings, further providing for limitation on new applications for Department of Education approval of public school building projects; in school directors' associations and county boards of school directors, further providing for powers and duties; in intermediate units, further providing for visual services and for school safety and security enhancements; in professional employees, repealing provisions relating to religious garb, insignia, etc., prohibited and penalty; in certification of teachers, further providing for substitute teaching permit for prospective teachers, for locally issued temporary certification for substitute teachers and for permit for classroom monitors; providing for Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program; in pupils and attendance, further providing for compulsory education of physical defectives, for dependent children, for cost of tuition and maintenance of certain exceptional children in approved institutions, for payment of cost of tuition and maintenance of certain exceptional children, for transfer of funds for transferal programs and for children under six with defective hearing and parent or guardian advised of schools, etc.; in safe schools, further providing for definitions and for Office for Safe Schools, repealing provisions relating to regulations and to reporting, further providing for policy relating to bullying and for maintenance of records, repealing provisions relating to safe schools advocate in school districts of the first class, to standing, to enforcement and to construction of article and other laws; in school safety and security, further providing for definitions and for School Safety and Security Committee, providing for duties of committee, further providing for School Safety and Security Grant Program, providing for Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools and School Entities Program, for standardized protocols, for county safe schools' collaborative and for school mental health grants for 2023-2024 school year, further providing for school safety and security coordinator training and providing for reporting and memorandum of understanding, for safe schools advocate in school districts of the first class and for enforcement; in school security, further providing for definitions, for school police officers, for annual report and for school security guards; in school health services, further providing for dental examinations and dental hygiene services and providing for eating disorder awareness and education; in drug and alcohol recovery high school program, providing for enrollment of students; in terms and courses of study, providing for calculation of average daily membership for a dual credit course and further providing for Economic Education and Personal Financial Literacy Programs; in early learning programs, providing for quarterly meetings; in character education program, further providing for character education program; providing for the Dual Credit Innovation and Equity Grant Program; in high schools, further providing for attendance in other districts; in community colleges, further providing for financial program and reimbursement of payments; in educational tax credits, further providing for qualification and application by organizations, for limitations and for low-achieving schools; in school districts of the first class, further providing for qualifications of principals and teachers; in funding for public libraries, providing for State aid for fiscal year 2023-2024; in credit card marketing, further providing for regulation of on-campus credit card marketing; in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for definitions and for payments on account of pupils enrolled in career and technical curriculums, providing for Level-Up Supplement for 2022-2023 school year, further providing for payments on account of courses for exceptional children, for payments to intermediate units, for assistance to school districts declared to be in financial recovery status or identified for financial watch status, for payments, for payments on account of pupil transportation, for Ready-to-Learn Block Grant and for payment of required contribution for public school employees' Social Security; in construction and renovation of buildings by school entities, further providing for applicability; providing for School Environmental Repairs Program; abrogating a regulation; and making an editorial change.

PA SB569

In preliminary provisions, providing for mandate waiver program.

PA H5260

Extends the voluntary extension of care (VEC) program pursuant to § 14-1-6 to children in the juvenile justice system and children who attain reunification prior to their eighteenth (18th) birthday, however, the reunification is not successful.

PA SB239

In preliminary provisions, providing for mandate waiver program.

PA HF623

A bill for an act relating to early childhood education and care, including by modifying provisions related to the statewide preschool program, the child development coordinating council, programs for at-risk children, the responsibilities of the department of education, the early childhood Iowa initiative, and the state child care assistance program, and establishing the child care continuum partnership grants pilot program within the department of health and human services.(Formerly HSB 145.)

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.