SB 971 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in student supports, providing for parental and employee notification of weapon incidents.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

1196 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL Session of No.

9711728 2023THE INTRODUCEDGENERAL BYASSEMBLY COLEMAN,OF TARTAGLIONE,PENNSYLVANIA ARGALL,SENATE DUSHBILL ANDSession COLLETT, OCTOBER 31, 2023 REFERRED TO EDUCATION, OCTOBER 31, 2023 AN ACT Amending the act of MarchNo. 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,971 revising,2023 consolidatingINTRODUCED andBY changingCOLEMAN, theTARTAGLIONE, lawsARGALL, DUSH AND COLLETT, OCTOBER 31, 2023 SENATOR ARGALL, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, JUNE 12, 2024 AN ACT Ameact relating thereto,"to inthe safepublic schools,school providingsystem, forincluding parentalcertainAn andprovisions employeeapplicable notificationas ofwell weaponto incidents.private and parochial schools;

amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in safe schools STUDENT SUPPORTS, <-- providing for parental and employee notification of weapon incidents.

(3) A school board's locally established policies relating <-- to weapons.

(3) LOCALLY ESTABLISHED POLICIES OF A SCHOOL ENTITY'S <-- GOVERNING BODY RELATING TO WEAPONS.

(2) If the EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (3), IF AN <-- incident involving the possession of a weapon occurs at a school building, school entities THE SCHOOL ENTITY may limit <-- notification to parents and guardians of students enrolled in or attending, or school employes assigned to, the school building where the incident occurred.

(3) IfIF anTHE incidentSCHOOL involvingBUILDING theAT possessionWHICH ofTHE aINCIDENT weaponOCCURS occurs<-- atSHARES aA school-sponsoredCAMPUS activityWITH orOTHER onSCHOOL aBUILDINGS, publicTHE conveyanceSCHOOL providingENTITY transportationSHALL toMAKE orNOTIFICATION fromTO aPARENTS schoolAND orGUARDIANS school-sponsoredOF activity,STUDENTS theENROLLED followingIN shallOR apply:ATTENDING, OR SCHOOL EMPLOYES ASSIGNED TO, ANY BUILDING SITUATED ON THE SHARED CAMPUS.

(i)(3) The(4) schoolIf entityan shallincident ensureinvolving that the notificationpossession requiredof undera thisweapon section<-- reachesoccurs theat appropriatea populationschool-sponsored ofactivity parentsor andon guardiansa andpublic conveyance providing transportation to or from a school employes.or school-sponsored activity, the following shall apply:

(i) The school entity shall ensure that the notification required under this section reaches the appropriate population 20230SB0971PN1728 - 2 - of parents and guardians and school employes.

(5) SUBJECT TO 20 U.S.C.

§ 1232G (RELATING TO FAMILY <-- EDUCATIONAL AND PRIVACY RIGHTS), A SCHOOL EMPLOYE TO WHOM A STUDENT IN POSSESSION OF A WEAPON UNDER SUBSECTION (A) IS ASSIGNED SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A SCHOOL OFFICIAL WITH LEGITIMATE EDUCATIONAL INTEREST IN THE STUDENT, AND THE SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL NOTIFY THE SCHOOL EMPLOYE OF THE STUDENT'S IDENTITY AND PORTION OF THE STUDENT'S RECORDS RELATING TO THE INCIDENT.

20230SB0971PN1196 - 2 - (2) In an emergency, supersede or limit a school entity's responsibility to follow the procedure in its disaster response and emergency preparedness plan developed under 35 Pa.C.S.

(d) Except as required to notify the parent or guardian of a student found to be in possession of a weapon, or TO PROVIDE <-- NOTICE TO SCHOOL EMPLOYES UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(5) OR AS otherwise permitted, the school entity's notification to parents or guardians or school employes under this section shall not contain personally identifiable information about a student.student IN <-- COMPLIANCE WITH 20 U.S.C.

(e)§ For1232G. the purposes of this section, the term "school property" shall mean any of the following:

20230SB0971PN1728 - 3 - (e) For the purposes of this section, the term "school <-- property" shall mean any of the following:

(E) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING WORDS <-- AND PHRASES SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SUBSECTION:

"SCHOOL ENTITY." AN AREA CAREER AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL, CHARTER SCHOOL, CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL, NONPUBLIC SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL, REGIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

"SCHOOL PROPERTY." ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

(1) PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS.

(2) A SCHOOL-SPONSORED ACTIVITY.

(3) A CONVEYANCE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION TO A SCHOOL ENTITY OR SCHOOL-SPONSORED ACTIVITY.

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