PRINTER'S NO. 695
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.681
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY OTTEN, PIELLI, HILL-EVANS, RABB, PROBST, GIRAL,
KENYATTA, SANCHEZ, DALEY, GREEN, MADDEN AND CERRATO,
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, FEBRUARY 20, 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 school health services, further
providing for health services, for reports and for
interagency coordinating council for child health, nutrition
and physical education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1402(a) and (f) of the act of March 10,
1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
are amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to
read:
Section 1402. Health Services.-- (a) Each child of school
age shall be given by methods established by the Advisory Health
Board, (1) a hearing test by a school nurse or medical
technician, (2) a measurement of height and weight by a school
nurse or [teacher] other trained health care practitioner , who
shall collect that information in a manner that protects student
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20 confidentiality and shall only use the measurement to compute a
child's [weight-for-height ratio ] growth pattern, (3) tests for
tuberculosis under medical supervision, and (4) such other tests
as the Advisory Health Board may deem advisable to protect the
health of the child.
* * *
(a.3) A student shall be exempt from measurement of height
and weight if the student's parent or guardian requests an
exemption in writing.
* * *
(f) The Secretary of Health, upon petition of the school
board or joint school board or on his own initiative with the
concurrence of the school board or joint school board, may
modify for individual school districts the school health
services program specified in this section , except for
provisions under subsections (a)(2) and (a.3) . The program as
modified shall conform to approved medical or dental practices
and shall permit valid statistical appraisals of the various
components of the program.
* * *
Section 2. Section 1408 of the act is amended to read:
Section 1408. Reports.-- (a) Every school district of the
Commonwealth or school districts jointly, school physicians,
school dentists and school nurses, shall file with the Secretary
of Health and/or the Superintendent of Public Instruction such
reports as required by the regulations of the two departments.
(b) Height and weight measurements shall not be calculated
and reported as body mass index and may only be reported as
aggregate information from a scientifically drawn sample of
students in a manner that protects student confidentiality.
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30 Section 3. Section 1422.2(a) and (d) of the act are amended
and subsection (c) is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
Section 1422.2. Interagency Coordinating Council for Child
Health, Nutrition and Physical Education.--(a) The Secretary of
Education, the Secretary of Health , the Secretary of Human
Services and the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish an
interagency coordinating council which shall annually review,
revise and publish a Pennsylvania Child Wellness Plan to promote
child health, nutrition and physical education. The council
shall be composed of employes of the Department of Education,
the Department of Health , the Department of Human Services and
the Department of Agriculture. The Secretary of Education shall
appoint the chairman of the council.
* * *
(c) In the initial publication of the Pennsylvania Child
Wellness Plan to promote child health, nutrition and physical
education, the council shall integrate the contents of the
Pennsylvania Nutrition and Activity Plan to Prevent Obesity and
Related Chronic Diseases and shall include additional
recommendations regarding:
* * *
(7) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education
program to improve the likelihood that families with children
eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will
make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose
physically active lifestyles.
(d) The council shall submit the plan to the Secretary of
Education, the Secretary of Health and the Secretary of
Agriculture no later than May 1, 2007, and May 1 of each year
thereafter. The Secretary of Education shall submit the final
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30 plan to the Governor, the President pro tempore of the Senate,
the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives by June 1, 2007, and June 1 of each year
thereafter. The final plan shall be included on the [ Department
of Education's, Department of Health's and Department of
Agriculture's Internet websites. ] publicly accessible Internet
websites of the Department of Education, Department of Health,
Department of Human Services and Department of Agriculture.
Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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