Pennsylvania 2025_0 Regular Session Status: In Committee 15 D cosponsors

HB 1648 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in pupils and attendance, further providing for definitions and providing for mental health days.

Last action — Laid on the table, Feb. 4, 2026

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced June 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 15 sponsors

    1 primary, 14 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (15 D).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Helping Our Students Achieve by Allowing Student Mental Health Days

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

125 added · 175 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to Bill HB 1648 specifies that beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, schools must adopt policies allowing students to take "mental health days" as excused absences. This change recognizes that students may need time off to recover from mental or physical fatigue, regardless of whether the underlying issues are officially diagnosed or not. By allowing up to two consecutive mental health days, the amendment aims to support students' well-being, making it clear that mental health is just as important as physical health. This highlights a growing understanding of mental health's impact on students' overall performance and wellness in schools.

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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.
PRINTER'S NO.
2002 PRINTER'S NO.
2002 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.
2876 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.
WILLIAMS, MAYES, WARREN, CURRY AND GREEN, JUNE 23, 2025 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 4, 2026 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 laws relating thereto," in pupils and attendance, furtherhe providing for definitions and providing for mental health days.
WILLIAMS, MAYES AND WARREN, JUNE 23, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 24, 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 providing for definitions and providing for mental health days.
Mental Health Days.--(a) No later than the <-- beginning of the 2026-2027 school year, each board of directors or governing body of a public, nonpublic or private school shall adopt policies to provide an excused absence from compulsory school attendance required under this act for a mental health day when a student's well-being is at risk due to mental or physical fatigue, regardless of whether the underlying mental health-related condition triggering the fatigue is a certified mental health-related condition or an uncertified mental health- related condition.
Mental Health Days.--(a) No later than the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year, each board of directors or governing body of a public, nonpublic or private school shall adopt policies to provide an excused absence from compulsory school attendance required under this act for a mental health day when a student's well-being is at risk due to mental or physical fatigue, regardless of whether the underlying mental health-related condition triggering the fatigue is a certified mental health-related condition or an uncertified mental health- related condition.
The department shall include evidence-based 20250HB1648PN2876 - 2 - guidance for a school to integrate the school's responses to student-excused absences for a mental health day into the school's support systems for student well-being.
The department shall include evidence-based guidance for a school to integrate the school's responses to 20250HB1648PN2002 - 2 - student-excused absences for a mental health day into the school's support systems for student well-being.
(10) Any other similar condition or behavior recognized and 20250HB1648PN2876 - 3 - diagnosed through examination of the student by a physician or mental health professional.
(10) Any other similar condition or behavior recognized and diagnosed through examination of the student by a physician or 20250HB1648PN2002 - 3 - mental health professional.
"Uncertified mental health-related condition" means a condition or behavior exhibited by a student that has not been diagnosed by a physician or mental health professional, but that causes the student to experience overwhelming feelings of 20250HB1648PN2876 - 4 - stress, situational grief or trauma-induced suffering which impede learning, including:
"Uncertified mental health-related condition" means a condition or behavior exhibited by a student that has not been diagnosed by a physician or mental health professional, but that causes the student to experience overwhelming feelings of stress, situational grief or trauma-induced suffering which 20250HB1648PN2002 - 4 - impede learning, including:
(A) WITHIN ONE <-- HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) DAYS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND PUBLISH A MODEL POLICY AND GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH DAYS.
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCLUDE IN THE GUIDELINES EVIDENCE-BASED BEST 20250HB1648PN2876 - 5 - PRACTICES FOR A SCHOOL TO CONNECT STUDENTS USING MENTAL HEALTH DAYS WITH MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT UNDER THE SCHOOL'S STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IN DEVELOPING THE GUIDELINES AND MODEL POLICY, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONSULT WITH THE WORK GROUP ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(1).
(B) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A WORK GROUP TO ADVISE THE DEPARTMENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL POLICY AND GUIDELINES REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (A).
THE WORK GROUP SHALL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:
(I) APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION:
(A) TWO EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS WITH EXPERIENCE IN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS RECOMMENDED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
(B) TWO BUILDING PRINCIPALS RECOMMENDED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION.
(C) TWO SCHOOL COUNSELORS RECOMMENDED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION.
(D) TWO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS RECOMMENDED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK PERSONNEL.
(E) TWO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS RECOMMENDED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
(F) ONE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AND ONE SOLICITOR OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION.
(II) ONE STUDENT APPOINTED BY EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
(A) THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE.
(B) THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
(C) THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE.
(D) THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL HOLD AT LEAST THREE MEETINGS WITH 20250HB1648PN2876 - 6 - THE WORK GROUP UNDER PARAGRAPH (1), WITH THE FIRST MEETING BEING HELD NO LATER THAN THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
(C) UPON THE DEPARTMENT'S DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL POLICY AND GUIDELINES UNDER SUBSECTION (A), THE GOVERNING BODY OF EACH SCHOOL SHALL REVIEW ITS ATTENDANCE POLICY AND, NO LATER THAN THE BEGINNING OF THE 2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR, MODIFY THE ATTENDANCE POLICY TO INCORPORATE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH DAYS.
THE POLICY ADOPTED BY THE SCHOOL MAY BE BASED ON THE MODEL POLICY DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
(D) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE TERM "SCHOOL" SHALL HAVE THE MEANING GIVEN TO IT IN SECTION 1326.
This act shall take effect in 60 days <-- IMMEDIATELY.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
<-- 20250HB1648PN2876 - 7 -
20250HB1648PN2002 - 5 -
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Action History

  1. Laid on the table, Feb. 4, 2026

  2. First consideration, Feb. 4, 2026

  3. Reported as amended, Feb. 4, 2026

  4. Referred to EDUCATION, June 24, 2025

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 14 co-sponsors · 238 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (14)

Not signed on (238)

238 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 238 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare education
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Frequently asked questions

What does HB 1648 do?
Helping Our Students Achieve by Allowing Student Mental Health Days
Who sponsors HB 1648?
HB 1648 is sponsored by Danilo Burgos (Democratic), Carol Hill-Evans (Democratic), Tim Briggs (Democratic), Jose Giral (Democratic), Michael H. Schlossberg (Democratic), Benjamin V. Sanchez (Democratic), Nikki Rivera (Democratic), Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (Democratic), La'Tasha D. Mayes (Democratic), Perry S. Warren (Democratic), Gina H. Curry (Democratic), G. Roni Green (Democratic), Jeanne McNeill (Democratic), Dan K. Williams (Democratic), and Napoleon J. Nelson (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 1648?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced June 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 1648?
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