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.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

2002 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

2876 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

WILLIAMS, MAYESMAYES, WARREN, CURRY AND WARREN,GREEN, JUNE 23, 2025 REFERREDAS TOREPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNEHOUSE 24,OF 2025REPRESENTATIVES, 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;laws relating thereto," in pupils and attendance, furtherhe providing for definitions and providing for mental health days.

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.

The department shall include evidence-based 20250HB1648PN2876 - 2 - 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 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 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.days <-- IMMEDIATELY.

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