PRINTER'S NO. 352 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No.387 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY K.HARRIS, BURGOS, HILL-EVANS, GIRAL, M. MACKENZIE, SANCHEZ, NEILSON, McNEILL, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, A. BROWN, KENYATTA AND WEBSTER, JANUARY 28, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 28, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in student supports, providing for parental notification. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows: Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a section to read: Section 1314-A. Parental Notification.--(a) Each school entity shall adopt a policy and procedure for notifying, in a timely manner, all parents, guardians or custodial parents of students in the school entity who: (1) Are involved in incidents which are required to be reported in the school safety report submitted to the Department of Education. (2) Incur other serious injuries on school property, on the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 school bus or at a school activity. (b) Notification under subsection (a) may be in person, by telephone, by email, by text message or by certified mail. A school entity shall make a reasonable effort to notify a parent, guardian or custodial parent in the preferred manner indicated on the contact information of the parent, guardian or custodial parent. The preferred method of notification must be documented. In the event of a school or districtwide emergency, the school entity may use alternative methods to notify parents, guardians or custodial parents. (c) Each school entity must maintain current contact information for each parent, guardian or custodial parent. The contact information must allow parents, guardians and custodial parents to identify a preferred method of contact if notification under subsection (a) is required. (d) Each school entity shall provide training regarding the requirements of this section to all staff who come into contact with children. The training shall include recognizing incidents that trigger the notification requirement, the school entity's policy and procedure for notification and the recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Training required under this section may be incorporated with other training and in-service activities of the school entity. (e) All incidents that are required to be reported under section 1319-B(b) shall be subject to the requirements of this section. (f) The Secretary of Education may withhold State payments to any school entity that fails to comply with this section. (g) As used in this section, the term "parents, guardians or custodial parents of students" shall mean parents, guardians or 20250HB0387PN0352 - 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 custodial parents of students who are either perpetrators or victims of incidents which: (1) Are required to be reported in the school safety report submitted to the Department of Education. (2) Result in any other injuries occurring on school property, the school bus or at a school activity. Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. 20250HB0387PN0352 - 3 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7