March 23, 2026 · EDUCATION · 3,955 words · 11 speakers · 194 segments
I call to order this meeting of the Senate Education Committee. In order to establish a quorum, Cindy, will you please take the roll? Senator Argo?
Here.
Here. Senator Coleman?
Proxy.
Proxy. Senator Commita?
Here.
Here. Senator Carney?
Here.
Here. Senator Kiefer?
Here.
Here. Senator Mastriano?
Here.
Here. Senator Rothman?
Here.
Here. Senator Anthony Williams?
Proxy.
Proxy. Senator Lindsey Williams?
Here.
Here. Senator Kim Ward?
Proxy.
Proxy. Senator Colbert?
Here.
Here. With a quorum established, I call up Senate Bill 128, sponsored by Senator Mastriano. Senator Mastriano moves the bill, seconded by Senator Rothman. Senator Mastriano, would you please provide a description of your bill?
Thank you, Madam Chair and distinguished members of the Education Committee. And thank you for the opportunity to speak today in support of Senate Bill 128. At its core, this legislation is about something simple, but incredibly important, a parent's ability to easily see what their child is being taught in school. Transparency is not political. It is a basic principle of governance and public trust. It means that the people that we serve, parents and families and taxpayers, have clear, accessible insight into how our schools operate and what our students are learning. This bill does not tell teachers what to teach. It does not mandate new courses or restrict instruction. It does not interfere with the professional judgment of their decisions. What it does ensure is that the curriculum already being taught in schools is visible, understandable, and accessible to the public. Under this bill, school entities would post textbook titles or links, course syllabi or summaries, and the state academic standards aligned with each course. This is information that already exists. It is simply being made available in a consistent and transparent way. For parents, this matters deeply. Across Pennsylvania, parents want to be engaged in their children's education. They want to know what their children are learning, how they can support them at home, and how coursework aligns with expectations. Too often, that information is difficult to find or inconsistent from one district to another. In many districts, parents must search multiple pages or make direct requests to find out what's being taught. Senate Bill 128 establishes a clear, uniform standard so that every parent, regardless of your zip code, has access to the same level of information. Transparency strengthens trust, and trust strengthens our schools. When parents can easily see what is being taught, it reduces confusion, prevents misinformation, and fosters a great relationship between the schools and the parents. It also allows educators to showcase the thoughtful work that they are already doing. This bill respects educators and schools alike, as well as parents. It preserves local control. It does not dictate content, and more importantly, it includes safeguards to ensure that schools are not required to violate copyright or intellectual property laws. It is a balanced, reasonable approach that recognizes both the need for transparency and the practical realities that the schools face. For the broader educational community, Senate Bill 128 represents an opportunity and not a burden. It promotes consistency across school entities, enhances opportunity, and aligns with the public school's growing expectation that information be accessible online. In today's world, families expect to find this information out quickly and have access to it. So ultimately, this bill strengthens the relationship between the schools and the communities that they serve. When parents are informed, students succeed and schools earn trust. Madam Chair and members of the committee, Senate Bill 128 is a careful, practical step toward greater transparency and a stronger partnership between schools and families. I respectfully ask for support and a vote in favor of Senate Bill 128.
Thank you, Senator Mastriano. I want to recognize we've been joined by Senator Anthony Williams. I will offer Amendment A-02659, seconded by Senator Mastriano. This amendment updates the starting date to the 27-28 school year. Is there any discussion on the amendment? Seeing no further discussion, Cindy, would you please take the roll? On amendment A-02659, Senator Argel?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Coleman?
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Commita?
No.
No. Senator Carney?
No.
No. Senator Kiefer?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Mastriano?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Rothman?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Anthony Williams?
No.
No. Senator Lindsey Williams?
No.
No. Senator Kim Ward?
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Culver?
Aye.
Aye. The amendment is adopted. Is there any discussion on the bill as amended?
Senator Williams. Thank you, Madam Chair. This is the third time I am voting on this bill in this committee. I was a no each time. As Governor Wolf put it when he vetoed this bill two sessions ago, quote, this legislation is a thinly veiled attempt to restrict truthful instruction and censor content reflecting various cultures, identities, and experiences. I remain a no today. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator Williams.
Senator Rothman. Oh, yes, sorry. I'll defer to Senator Mastro. Thank you.
So basically we're being asked if it's politically motivated, and it absolutely is not politically motivated. Transparency should never be political. Parents across Pennsylvania, regardless of party affiliation, want to understand what their children are learning. This bill simply does not change the curriculum or anything else already being taught, but makes it accessible publicly to the parents and teachers. If there are copyright violations being considered, those can be withheld. So transparency is absolutely not a partisan issue. It's foundational and it will not do anything to change curriculum as it currently exists.
Thank you, Senator Mastriano. Senator Rothman?
This may be a question to Cindy or to Senator Mastriano Under current law if a parent requests a copy of the curriculum my understanding is the school has to produce it That's correct. So how would they currently produce it? You would make the request and they would mail it to them, print it out? So my understanding, and I'd have to get further details, but a parent may request to view it. I don't know if they would provide that via email or a paper copy. if the individual would have to go physically to the school to view the curriculum and review the textbooks. I don't know if the school would allow them to take the textbook home and bring it back. That might be up to the district. I'm not sure how that's handled on a broader scale. But just to be clear, Bill, right now the school district would be required to provide what this bill just says is going to put it online. I mean, there's no – it just seems to me that this makes perfectly good sense. I mean, I could get a menu from my restaurant, but I can also go online if I'm ordering it online and see. I mean, like what doesn't seem to me that this is changing policy. It means that we're adapting to the technology that we have and making things more accessible to the people that are ultimately the ones that are paying for public education, which is the parents and the taxpayers. So I am a yes. I will vote for this 100 more times if it keeps coming up. So I don't know why the governor would veto something like this, and I certainly hope that our colleagues in the House will pass it and this governor will sign it who believes in transparency. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator Rothman. Senator Mastriano?
Just to elaborate on the response. So this bill was birthed many years ago, and we've heard some of the stories from some parents. In some cases, the schools are already posting this online, so it's quite easy. They send them a link. here you go and let us know what you think in other cases parents have to schedule an appointment with the school and go in and look at something on a computer screen so coordinating their schedules with the teachers or administrator schedules and stare at this at a screen and take notes and not take anything with them in the other cases we've seen the school has reproduced the curriculum and they had to coordinate a time for pickup so this will just uniform it schools already posting it great job those of you still lagging behind this just and one question might be wow this is going to cause a burden on the teachers i have done teaching from let's see middle school elementary ed all at the masters you know postgraduate and some cases i would have to post the curriculum in the schools that i taught with a large administrative staff actually the admin clerks would do that and i understand in most cases the teachers will not be posting this um you know that is there a cost to the districts? No. What about the districts that already have information posted? Keep doing it in your format. But this just regulates across the board. Hey, all schools, it's time to get it online.
Thank you. Thank you, Senator Mastrano. Is there any other discussion on the bill as amended? Senator Williams?
Thank you, Madam Chair. This really wasn't the space in which I wanted to speak, but since we keep talking about transparency, really, frankly, it's not to us as politicians, it's to the public, because I want to make sure people don't misunderstand that those of us who are voting no are not for supporting parents being informed about their children. The reality is when these kind of bills are introduced, the history has been very clear what happens. People decide what they choose to part of a movement. And frankly, in this environment in which I currently live, where people are actually deciding to remove actual factual information from books, remove those books from libraries, that has nothing to do with transparency. has everything to do with providing a platform for which people can say, you know what, we don't like you all talking about green eggs and ham. Hence, it's a problem for our children because we can contaminate them. Hence, we need to have a movement. And that's not theory. That's just the reality of what happens. And that's not a Democratic issue nor a Republican issue. It's just the reality of how we react today in society to issues that we don't agree with. So it's not that I don't believe in transparency. I don't believe, and nor do I trust, folks who are involved in this kind of movement to suggest that they're doing something that helps parents. No, what they're doing is elevating information to a population of people who are not constituents. I mean, are not educators. And are parents. Parents trust educators to educate their children because they are the experts. Parents have a right to have an opinion, to be engaged, to be informed. but the curriculum is developed by people who've studied what it means to have facts in front of them, lay it out to a child, lay it out to the folks, and move forward. Unfortunately, that's just not what happens on too many occasions where people get a hold of two cents worth of the information, exaggerate it in some shape, way, and form, and the next thing you know, we're moving information out, suggesting it's negative for our children. That's why we're opposed to it, not because we don't believe in transparency. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator Williams. Any further discussion on the bill as amended? Seeing no further discussion, Cindy, please call the roll on Senate Bill 128. Senator Argel.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Coleman.
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Commita.
No.
No. Senator Carney.
No.
No. Senator Kiefer.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Mastriano.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Rothman.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Anthony Williams.
No.
No. Senator Lindsey Williams.
No.
No. Senator Kim Ward.
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Culver.
Aye.
Aye. with the majority having voted in the affirmative, Senate Bill 128 is reported out of the Senate Education Committee as amended and will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. I now call up Senate Bill 378, sponsored by Senator Kristen Phillips-Hill. Senator Argel moves the bill,
seconded by Senator Rothman.
Senator Phillips-Hill, would you please provide a description of your bill?
Well, thank you very much, Chairwoman Culver, Chairwoman Williams and members of the committee, Senate Bill 378, it aims to protect the privacy of our students' personal data from unauthorized or inappropriate disclosure. We all know as our communities are more connected than ever before so are our schools And while technology has opened new doors for learning it has also created a vast massive repository of sensitive student data from their academic records and their contact details to biometric identifiers Current federal laws do not cover the full extent of the data that our schools and their third-party contractors now amass. and without a clear state framework, our children's most personal information remains vulnerable to misuse or exposure. So this legislation does several things to protect student data. It creates broad definitions to protect their names, their contact information, their academic records, and their biometric identifiers. It prohibits third-party contractors from selling or exchanging student information, and it bans targeted marketing. It ensures that parents and students can inspect and correct educational records, and it mandates security measures, breach notifications, and imposes fines of up to $1 million annually for violations. Now, several years ago, the Senate Communications and Technology and Education Committees held a joint hearing on the topic where we heard testimony on the importance of safeguarding student data and how many other states are leading on this issue. Currently, at least 47 states have some form of student data privacy laws on their books. Pennsylvania is severely lagging in this space and we are doing our children a tremendous disservice by not protecting their vulnerable data while they are in the care of our schools. So this bill is a step in the right direction to protecting our children and safeguarding the next generation's digital assets. Again, I would like to thank Chairwoman Culver, Chairwoman Williams, members of the committee for your consideration of this legislation. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator. I will offer Amendment A-02663, seconded by Senator Rothman. This amendment clarifies the definition of educational entity, refers to public schools, and modifies the effective date for the entire bill to 180 days. Is there any discussion on the amendment? Seeing no further discussion, Cindy, would you please take the roll? On amendment A-02663, Senator Argel?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Coleman?
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Commetta?
No.
No. Senator Carney?
No.
No. Senator Kiefer?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Mastriano?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Rothman?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Anthony Williams?
No.
No. Senator Lindsay Williams?
No.
No. Senator Kim Ward?
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Culver?
Aye.
Aye. The amendment is adopted. Is there any discussion on the bill as amended?
Senator Williams? Thank you, Chair Culver. I know that data privacy has been a priority of yours for a long time, Senator Phillips Hill. Thank you for being here today. As I noted when we considered this bill last session, I think there is still a good deal of work to be done. And given the broad stakeholder opposition and outstanding questions as to how the bill may conflict with FERPA, I'm going to remain a no today. I look forward to working with you on it. Thank you.
Thank you. Any further discussion on the bill as amended? Okay. Cindy, could you please do a roll call? Sure. Senate Bill 378, Senator Argel.
Aye.
Senator Coleman.
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Commita.
No.
No. Senator Carney.
No.
No. Senator Kiefer.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Mastriano.
Aye.
Senator Rothman.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Anthony Williams.
No.
No. Senator Lindsey Williams.
No.
No. Senator Kim Ward.
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Culver.
Aye.
Aye. With the majority having voted in the affirmative, Senate Bill 378 is reported out of the Senate Education Committee as amended and will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. The next bill on the agenda is Senate Bill 402, sponsored by Senator Argel. Senator Argel moves the bill, seconded by Senator Rothman.
Senator Argel, would you please provide a description of your bill? Thank you. This is going to look familiar to those of us who have served on this committee before. Under current state law, only licensed health care providers can administer the treatment needed for immediate seizure relief, which can be very dangerous for students when a full-time health professional may not always be in their building. This bill would establish voluntary emergency treatment training for employees of school districts. It must be conducted by licensed health care professionals. It will focus on treatments specifically designed for use by non-medical professionals. I want to thank everyone, including the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners, who are working with us on an amendment which we are preparing for a floor vote. As I'd indicated, the bill has passed this committee previously. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator Argel. I will be offering Amendment A-02672, seconded by Senator Argel. This amendment changes the due date for department guidelines from December 2025 to December 2026. Is there any discussion on the amendment? Seeing no further discussion on the amendment, is there any discussion on the bill as amended? Oh, we did. I'm sorry. Sorry. Seeing no further discussion, I ask Cindy to do a roll call on the amendment. On amendment A-02672, Senator Argel.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Coleman.
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Kometa.
No.
Senator Carney.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Kiefer.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Mastriano.
Aye.
Aye. Senator Rothman?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Anthony Williams?
Aye.
Aye. Senator Lindsey Williams?
No.
No. Senator Kim Ward?
Proxy, aye.
Proxy, aye. Senator Culver?
Aye.
Aye. Now the amendment is adopted. Is there any discussion on the bill as amended?
Chairman Williams? Thank you.
Chair Culver? Sure.
We made an amendment, but I heard a comment made that there's another amendment which is being worked on beyond this right with the affected parties are involved in correct right because some of them are hesitant to all right so i doing this in good faith that we really will work with those folks uh going for otherwise it would have been a no um so my expectation is this is not the end of the road you i'll put it like that all right thank you thank you chair culver um the
general assembly has considered several pieces of legislation that rely on teachers to meet students medical needs. I'm uncomfortable with this piecemeal approach to school nursing, to the school nursing shortage. Students have medical needs in school, are entitled under existing law to have those needs met, period. But yes, the catch is that this often requires a school nurse, which many school buildings do not have. That's a scary and very real problem for our students and our families. I know that there are parents who go into school every day to administer medications to their child. That's not the solution, but nor is the solution asking teachers to replace a trained medical professional in the building. I'm glad that the law already makes courses available for school personnel who want to better understand the signs of a seizure and learn how they can help, but we as policymakers need to stay focused on ensuring that all students have access to a certified school nurse in their building. So I will be a note today. If amendments change on the floor, I will reevaluate. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Chairwoman Williams. Is there any other discussion on the bill as amended? Seeing no further discussion, Cindy, could you please take roll call on Senate Bill 402? Sure.
Senator Argel?
Aye. Aye.
Senator Coleman?
Proxy, aye. Proxy, aye.
Senator Commita?
No. No.
Senator Carney?
Aye. Aye.
Senator Kiefer?
Aye. Aye.
Senator Mastriano?
Aye. Aye.
Senator Rothman?
Aye. Aye.
Senator Anthony Williams?
Aye. Stipulation, aye.
Senator Lindsey Williams?
No. No.
Senator Kim Ward?
Proxy, aye. Proxy, aye.
Senator Culver?
Aye. Aye. With the majority having voted in the affirmative, Senate Bill 402 is reported on the Senate Education Committee as amended and will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. The final bill on our agenda is Senate Bill 835, sponsored by Senator Pennycook. I will move the bill, seconded by Senator Rothman.
Senator Pennycook, would you please provide a description of your bill? Thank you, Chairwoman Culver, Chairwoman Williams, and members of the committee for your consideration of Senate Bill 835, display of the POW-MIA flag at all Pennsylvania schools. Today there are still more than 81,000 Americans listed as POW or MIA. These are men and women who stood up, raised their right hand, and said they would defend this country and haven't come home or came home after being a POW. and the number sounds really big and I thought I'd drill it down for you and so maybe you can maybe relate to one of these individuals. Captain Michael Spikert was shot down from his A-10 warthog on January 17th 1991. In 2009 his remains were found. 18 years his wife and children waited for word of what had happened to him. CW3 Michael Durant, a night stalker, 1993.
Mogadishu, Somalia. POW for 11 days. Back broken, told he would never walk again. Now runs the Army 10-miler. PFC Jessica Lynch, a 20-year-old supply clerk. Captured March 23, 2003. released April 1, 2003, with our own Senate Republican, Devlin Robinson, aiding in the search for her. And finally, CW3 William McMichael was a POW of the Japanese and the Philippines. They were moving them in unmarked ships back to Japan as the war ended. Allied forces, not recognizing that the ships were carrying American POWs, shot the ship down He managed to get to shore, was recaptured, put on another boat Sank to the bottom of Subic Bay for 80 years We brought him home three months ago The POW MIA flag is a powerful and an enduring symbol of this country's dedication and commitment to our military This bill is very simple. It builds on existing laws and requires the POW-MIA flag to fly beneath the American flag. By displaying the POW-MIA flag, it helps ensure that our students never forget the history of what has happened before. And they understand the service and the sacrifice and the sense of duty. It also reminds them daily that freedom isn't free, and it's not guaranteed. The flags come at a minimal cost, $15.29 if you get the coupon on Amazon. I checked this morning. And in many cases are provided free of charge from veteran service organizations. I would ask that you pass this bill and honor those that didn't come home or spent time in enemy hands, not knowing if they would come home. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Penny Cook. Do we have any discussion on the bill? Seeing no further discussion, Cindy, could you please do a roll call vote? On Senate Bill 835, Senator Arbol.
Aye. Aye.
Senator Coleman. Proxy, aye. Proxy, aye. Senator Commita. Aye. Aye.
Senator Carney. Aye.
Senator Kiefer? Aye.
Senator Mastriano? Proxy, aye. Proxy, aye.
Senator Rothman? Aye.
Senator Anthony Williams? Aye.
Senator Lindsey Williams? Aye.
Senator Kim Ward? Proxy, aye. Proxy, aye.
Senator Culver? Aye.
With the majority having voted in the affirmative, Senate Bill 835 is reported out of the Senate Education Committee and will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. Thank you, Senator Penny Cook. With no further business before the committee, the Senate Education Committee is recessed to the call of the chair.