Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB126 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

                             
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
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 preliminary provisions, providing 
for special provisions applicable to 2025-2026 school year.
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 135.  Special Provisions Applicable to 2025-2026 
School Year.--(a)  Any university located in this Commonwealth 
which authorizes, facilitates, provides for or otherwise 
supports any event promoting antisemitism on the university 
campus may not receive any source of funding from the 
Commonwealth for the academic school year in which the 
antisemitic event under this section occurs.
(b)  A university which has received any source of funding 
prior to the date on which the university authorized, 
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20 facilitated, provided for or otherwise supported an event under 
subsection (a) shall refund the Commonwealth the amount of 
funding received from the Commonwealth for the academic school 
year in which the event under subsection (a) occurred.
(c)  Violations of this section shall be reported to the 
State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall 
schedule a hearing within thirty (30) days to evaluate the 
alleged violations of this section. Pending a majority vote by 
the State Board of Education, the university shall be subject to 
the funding penalties outlined in this section.
(d)  As used in this section, the following words and phrases 
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless 
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Antisemitism."  A certain perception of Jewish individuals, 
which may be expressed as hatred toward Jewish individuals, 
including rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism 
that are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals or 
their property, Jewish community institutions and religious 
facilities. The term includes the following:
(1)  Calling for, aiding or justifying the killing or harming 
of Jewish individuals in the name of a radical ideology or an 
extremist view of religion.
(2)  Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing or 
stereotypical allegations about Jewish individuals as such or 
the power of people of Jewish faith as a collective, including 
the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jewish 
individuals controlling the media, economy, government or other 
societal institutions.
(3)  Accusing Jewish individuals as a people of being 
responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a 
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30 single Jewish individual or group or for acts committed by non-
Jewish individuals.
(4)  Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms or intentionality of 
the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National 
Socialist Germany, supporters and accomplices during World War 
II.
(5)  Accusing people of Jewish faith, or Israel as a state, 
of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
(6)  Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, 
or to the alleged priorities of Jewish individuals worldwide, 
than to the interests of the individuals' nation.
(7)  Denying the Jewish people the right to self-
determination, including by claiming the existence of a state of 
Israel is a racist endeavor.
(8)  Applying a double standard by requiring a behavior not 
expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
(9)  Using the symbols and images associated with classic 
antisemitism, including claims of Jewish individuals killing 
Jesus or blood libel to characterize Israel or Israelis.
(10)  Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to 
that of the Nazis.
(11)  Calling for the extermination of a Jewish state.
(12)  Holding people of Jewish faith collectively responsible 
for actions of the state of Israel.
"Funding."  The term shall include:
(1)  Budget allocation.
(2)  Commonwealth grants received by the university.
"University."  As defined in 24 Pa.C.S. ยง 6503.1(f) (relating 
to change of designation to university).
Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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