Pennsylvania 2025_0 Regular Session Status: In Committee 35 D cosponsors

HB 2602 — 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 attendance policy at charter, regional charter and cyber charter schools; in charter schools, further providing for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions and for enrollee wellness checks and providing for child protection and support plan; and imposing penalties.

Last action — Laid on the table, Sept. 8, 2026

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  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 04, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 35 sponsors

    1 primary, 34 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (35 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill updates attendance policies and safety requirements for cyber charter schools.

This legislation modifies the attendance policies for charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools. It also establishes requirements for student wellness checks and includes provisions related to child protection.

What this means for you
  • Families: This means families with children in cyber charter schools may expect new policies regarding attendance and wellness checks.

Summary

Cyber Student Safety Act

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

100 added · 104 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Bill HB 2602 include a clarification regarding how cyber charter schools communicate with families and a focus on specific wellness triggers, such as acute mental health issues. The bill now explicitly states that schools must contact parents or guardians about a child's well-being if they notice concerning behaviors, which is important for ensuring timely support for students. These amendments aim to strengthen the safety and mental health support for students in cyber charter schools, making it clear that schools have a responsibility in these situations.

→
Previous
Latest
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.
PRINTER'S NO.
3524 PRINTER'S NO.
3524 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.
3582 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.
WILLIAMS, NEILSON, CIRESI, GREEN AND SHUSTERMAN, JUNE 4, 2026 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 10, 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;
WILLIAMS, NEILSON, CIRESI AND GREEN, JUNE 4, 2026 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 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 providing for attendance policy at charter, regional charter and cyber charter schools;
amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in pupils and attendance, further and cyber charter schools;
in charter schools, further providing for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions and for enrollee wellness checks and providing for child protection and support plan;
in charter schools, furtherharter providing for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions and for enrollee wellness checks and providing for child protection and support plan;
To be present for asynchronous instruction, a child must complete 20260HB2602PN3582 - 2 - weekly benchmarks.
To be present for asynchronous instruction, a child must complete 20260HB2602PN3524 - 2 - weekly benchmarks.
* * * (d) For cyber charter schools under subsection (a.1), no 20260HB2602PN3582 - 3 - later than ninety (90) days after the effective date of this subsection, the department shall develop and publish on its publicly accessible Internet website:
* * * (d) For cyber charter schools under subsection (a.1), no 20260HB2602PN3524 - 3 - later than ninety (90) days after the effective date of this subsection, the department shall develop and publish on its publicly accessible Internet website:
(f) A cyber charter school that fails to submit each policy <-- by August 1, or that fails to receive approval after submitting one synchronous instruction attendance policy or one asynchronous instruction attendance policy, shall be subject to the following:
(f) A cyber charter school that fails to submit each policy by August 1, or that fails to receive approval after submitting one synchronous instruction attendance policy or one asynchronous instruction attendance policy, shall be subject to the following:
* * * (d) Parent or guardian.--[Upon request and prior to the student's first day in a cyber charter school,] At the time of a 20260HB2602PN3582 - 4 - student's enrollment and at the beginning of each school year thereafter, the cyber charter school shall, either in writing or electronically, provide to the parent or guardian of a student the following:
* * * (d) Parent or guardian.--[Upon request and prior to the student's first day in a cyber charter school,] At the time of a 20260HB2602PN3524 - 4 - student's enrollment and at the beginning of each school year thereafter, the cyber charter school shall, either in writing or electronically, provide to the parent or guardian of a student the following:
(a) Requirements.--A cyber charter school shall, at least once during any week consisting of at least three full or 20260HB2602PN3582 - 5 - partial days of academic instruction, conduct individual wellness checks to ensure that each enrolled student is visibly seen and communicated with in real time by a teacher, administrator or other representative of the cyber charter school, either in person or via electronic means, in order to ensure the well-being of the student and verify participation in the educational program.
(a) Requirements.--A cyber charter school shall, at least once during any week consisting of at least three full or 20260HB2602PN3524 - 5 - partial days of academic instruction, conduct individual wellness checks to ensure that each enrolled student is visibly seen and communicated with in real time by a teacher, administrator or other representative of the cyber charter school, either in person or via electronic means, in order to ensure the well-being of the student and verify participation in the educational program.
20260HB2602PN3582 - 6 - (4) A cyber charter school administrator or chief administrator may not alter any attendance record for wellness checks after the wellness check is performed, unless the alteration corrects an error.
20260HB2602PN3524 - 6 - (4) A cyber charter school administrator or chief administrator may not alter any attendance record for wellness checks after the wellness check is performed, unless the alteration corrects an error.
20260HB2602PN3582 - 7 - (1) Requiring the cyber charter school to report to the department the date, time and method of each wellness check for each student.
20260HB2602PN3524 - 7 - (1) Requiring the cyber charter school to report to the department the date, time and method of each wellness check for each student.
(b) Activation.--A plan shall be activated upon identification of a wellness trigger during a required wellness check under section 1748.1-A, during any direct or virtual 20260HB2602PN3582 - 8 - contact with students, OR by other means of communication to the <-- cyber charter school or if a student does not attend a mandatory <-- meeting in the case of a missed weekly wellness check without prior excused absence notification.
(b) Activation.--A plan shall be activated upon identification of a wellness trigger during a required wellness check under section 1748.1-A, during any direct or virtual 20260HB2602PN3524 - 8 - contact with students, by other means of communication to the cyber charter school or if a student does not attend a mandatory meeting in the case of a missed weekly wellness check without prior excused absence notification.
(iii) Signs of acute physical or mental health <-- deterioration, substance abuse, psychosis or other SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR behaviors suggesting urgent <-- psychiatric needs.
(iii) Signs of acute physical or mental health deterioration, substance abuse, psychosis or other behaviors suggesting urgent psychiatric needs.
20260HB2602PN3582 - 9 - (iii) If the child is exhibiting substance abuse or behaviors suggesting urgent psychiatric needs, the school employee or other mandated reporter shall comply with 22 Pa.
(iii) If the child is exhibiting substance abuse or 20260HB2602PN3524 - 9 - behaviors suggesting urgent psychiatric needs, the school employee or other mandated reporter shall comply with 22 Pa.
(e) Submittal AND REVISION of plan.--No later than 180 days <-- after the effective date of this subsection, a A cyber charter <-- school shall submit a plan for approval by the department.
(e) Submittal of plan.--No later than 180 days after the effective date of this subsection, a cyber charter school shall submit a plan for approval by the department.
<-- (f) Reviewing and revising.--No later than August 1 each year, a BY AUGUST 1, 2026.
(f) Reviewing and revising.--No later than August 1 each year, a cyber charter school shall annually review its plan and submit any revisions to the department for approval.
EACH AUGUST 1 THEREAFTER, EACH cyber <-- charter school shall annually review its plan and submit any <-- revisions to the department for approval.
(g) Activations.-- (1) Each cyber charter school shall maintain activations of the child protection and support plan, and the date each wellness trigger was identified.
(g) (F) Activations.-- <-- (1) Each cyber charter school shall maintain activations of the child protection and support plan, and the date each wellness trigger was identified.
(3) The information maintained under this subsection shall not contain a reporting source of SUSPECTED child abuse <-- or personal identifying information of a student.
(3) The information maintained under this subsection shall not contain a reporting source of child abuse or personal identifying information of a student.
20260HB2602PN3582 - 10 - (i) The number of times that the plan was activated annually, categorized by circumstance listed in accordance with subsection (c)(1).
(i) The number of times that the plan was activated annually, categorized by circumstance listed in 20260HB2602PN3524 - 10 - accordance with subsection (c)(1).
(h) (G) Penalties.-- <-- (1) A cyber charter school that fails to submit a plan, or fails to receive approval after submitting a plan, shall be subject to the withholding of payment under section 1725-A or 1725.1-A until the cyber charter school receives a notice of approval of its plan.
(h) Penalties.-- (1) A cyber charter school that fails to submit a plan, or fails to receive approval after submitting a plan, shall be subject to the withholding of payment under section 1725-A or 1725.1-A until the cyber charter school receives a notice of approval of its plan.
(i) (H) Definitions.--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:
(i) Definitions.--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:
"School employee." An individual who is employed by a school 20260HB2602PN3582 - 11 - or who provides a program, activity or service sponsored by a school.
"School employee." An individual who is employed by a school or who provides a program, activity or service sponsored by a school.
The term does not include administrative or other support personnel who have no direct contact with children.
The term does not include administrative or other 20260HB2602PN3524 - 11 - support personnel who have no direct contact with children.
20260HB2602PN3582 - 12 -
20260HB2602PN3524 - 12 -
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

How this bill changes current law

10 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

  • Section 1327.2(a.1)

    To be present for synchronous instruction, a child must be present and visible to the teacher on camera at all times during each synchronous instructional period for each course[.], with exceptions allowed for brief, teacher-directed or teacher-approved breaks. → To be present for synchronous instruction, a child must be present and visible to the teacher on camera at all times during each synchronous instructional period for each course, with exceptions allowed for brief, teacher-directed or teacher-approved breaks. If a student fails to maintain continuous live visual presence during instructional time, excluding any teacher-directed or teacher-approved break period, the student shall be deemed to have an absence for that class period.

    This change establishes a clear consequence for students who do not maintain visual presence during synchronous classes.

  • Section 1327.2(a.1)(1)(ii)

    The policy under subparagraph (i) shall establish a procedure for a cyber charter school to notify a parent or guardian if the student fails to follow attendance requirements for synchronous instruction.

    This addition mandates cyber charter schools to inform parents if students do not adhere to synchronous attendance policies.

  • Section 1327.2(a.1)(1)(iii)

    A secondary school student enrolled in a cyber charter school is not required to comply with subparagraph (i) for courses in which the student is dually enrolled and attending in person or virtually at a postsecondary institution. The postsecondary institution shall verify attendance for each student enrolled in the course and shall report all absences to the cyber charter school.

    This provision exempts dually enrolled secondary school students from synchronous attendance requirements in certain courses.

  • Section 1327.2(a.1)(3)(i)

    [June 30] → March 1

    This change alters the deadline for cyber charter schools to submit weekly benchmarks to the department from June 30 to March 1.

  • Section 1327.2(a.1)(1)(iv)

    The cyber charter school may not receive payment under section 1725-A or 1725.1-A until the cyber charter school receives a notice of approval of its synchronous instruction attendance policy or asynchronous instruction attendance policy.

    This mandates that cyber charter schools must receive approval for their attendance policies before they can receive payment.

  • Section 1327.2(a.1)(1)(v)

    Failure of a cyber charter school to comply with this paragraph shall be sufficient cause for nonrenewal or revocation of the charter.

    This establishes noncompliance with the attendance policy as a reason for potential nonrenewal or revocation of a cyber charter school's charter.

  • Section 1743-A(d)

    [Upon request and prior to the student's first day in a cyber charter school,] → At the time of a student's enrollment and at the beginning of each school year thereafter,

    This clarifies when parents receive information regarding attendance reporting and work authentication.

  • Section 1748.1-A(a)

    [The requirement under this subsection may be satisfied by students turning on a webcam during synchronous online instruction.]

    This removes the ability for wellness checks to be satisfied solely through webcam usage during synchronous instruction.

  • Section 1748.1-A(c)

    [Each] → No later than June 30 of each year for the following school year, each

    This adds a specific deadline for cyber charter schools to submit their wellness check policy for department approval.

  • Section 1748.1-A(e)

    Failure to comply with this section or failure to receive approval after submitting one wellness check policy or one asynchronous instruction attendance policy may result in the department taking the following actions:

    This establishes consequences for noncompliance with the wellness check requirements.

Action History

  1. Laid on the table, Sept. 8, 2026

  2. Re-reported as committed, Sept. 8, 2026

  3. Re-committed to RULES, June 10, 2026

  4. First consideration, June 10, 2026

  5. Reported as amended, June 10, 2026

  6. Referred to EDUCATION, June 4, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 34 co-sponsors · 218 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (34)

Not signed on (218)

218 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 218 →

"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

public-safety education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 2602 do?
Cyber Student Safety Act
Who sponsors HB 2602?
HB 2602 is sponsored by Peter Schweyer (Democratic), MaryLouise Isaacson (Democratic), Aerion Abney (Democratic), Gina H. Curry (Democratic), Paul Friel (Democratic), Carol Kazeem (Democratic), Napoleon J. Nelson (Democratic), Jennifer O'Mara (Democratic), Danielle Friel Otten (Democratic), Tarah Probst (Democratic), Jim Prokopiak (Democratic), Ismail Smith-Wade-El (Democratic), Paul Takac (Democratic), Regina G. Young (Democratic), Jeanne McNeill (Democratic), Manuel Guzman (Democratic), Benjamin V. Sanchez (Democratic), Robert E. Merski (Democratic), Kristine C. Howard (Democratic), Michael H. Schlossberg (Democratic), Chris Pielli (Democratic), Lisa A. Borowski (Democratic), Carol Hill-Evans (Democratic), Arvind Venkat (Democratic), Robert Freeman (Democratic), Emily Kinkead (Democratic), Tim Brennan (Democratic), Joseph C. Hohenstein (Democratic), Nikki Rivera (Democratic), Heather Boyd (Democratic), Dan K. Williams (Democratic), Ed Neilson (Democratic), Joe Ciresi (Democratic), G. Roni Green (Democratic), and Melissa L. Shusterman (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 2602?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced June 04, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 2602?
Track HB 2602 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 2602

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 2602

Last checked for changes 3 days ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →