PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

2779 PRINTER'STHE NO.GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

2879 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

MACKENZIE, PROBST, MIHALEK, SANCHEZ, DIAMOND, RABB, FLEMING, BRENNAN, NEILSON, BURGOS, BOROWSKI, MADDEN, ROWE, SOLOMON, SMITH-WADE-EL,SON,SMITH-WADE-EL, KOZAK, ORTITAY, BOYD, FRIEL, O'MARA, FRANKEL, TAKAC, WARREN, HARKINS, RIVERA AND GREEN, JANUARY 21, 2026 ASREFERRED REPORTEDTO FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSEJANUARY OF21, 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 schools;

amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in school safety and security, further providing for School Safety and Security Grant Program;

<-- The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

A school entity that applies for funding under this paragraph must adopt a policy under section 1504.1 relating to TO IMPLEMENT an <-- instructional day start time no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

for <-- THAT OCCURS AT LEAST 15 MINUTES LATER THAN THE CURRENT START <-- TIME FOR ITS secondary schools.

Delaying Secondary School Start Times.--(a) <-- The governing body of a school entity may adopt a policy to implement an instructional day start time at the secondary school level to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

THATPrior OCCURSto ATadopting <--the LEASTnew FIFTEENstart (15)time, MINUTESthe LATERgoverning THANbody THEshall CURRENTinform STARTits TIMEcommunity, FORincluding ITSparents, SECONDARYstudents, LEVEL.school administrators, school employes and other stakeholders about the health, safety and academic impacts of sleep deprivation on secondary school students and the benefits of a later secondary school start time and shall discuss with the community local strategies to successfully implement the later school start time.

Prior(b) toThe adoptingdepartment the new start time, the governing body shall informprovide itsguidance community, including parents, students, school administrators, school employes and othersupport stakeholdersfor about the health, safety and academic impacts of <-- sleep deprivation on secondary school studentsentities andto theexplore benefitschanges ofto a later secondary school start timetimes and shallto discussengage within thepublic communityeducation localcampaigns strategies to successfullyraise implementawareness about the laterimportance schoolof startadequate time.sleep for adolescents.

(b)(c) TheSchool departmententities shallthat provideadopt guidancea andpolicy supportunder forsubsection <--(a) schoolmay entitiesuse tofunding exploreunder changessection to1306-B(j)(33) secondary school start times and to engagealleviate incosts publicassociated educationwith campaignsthe toplanning, raiseimplementation awarenessor aboutoperation the importance of adequatea sleeplater forschool adolescents.start time.

(c)(d) (B)As Schoolused entitiesin thatthis adoptsection, athe policyfollowing underwords subsectionand <--phrases (a)shall mayhave usethe fundingmeanings undergiven section 1306-B(j)(33) to alleviatethem costsin associatedthis withsubsection unless the planning,context implementationclearly orindicates operationotherwise: 20260HB2152PN2879 - 2 - of a later school start time.

(d)20260HB2152PN2779 (C)- As2 used- in"Department" this section, the following words and <-- phrases shall havemean the meaningsDepartment givenof toEducation themof in this subsection unless the contextCommonwealth. clearly indicates otherwise:

"Department" shall mean the Department of Education of the Commonwealth.

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