HB 1326 — 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 computation of distances; and, in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, providing for pupil transportation data.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

1518 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

13261647 2025THE INTRODUCEDGENERAL BYASSEMBLY FRIEL,OF SCHLEGEL,PENNSYLVANIA CERRATO,HOUSE HILL-EVANS,BILL DONAHUE,Session CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, APRIL 28, 2025, MALAGARI, K.HARRIS AND REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 28, 2025 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,1326 revising,2025 consolidatingINTRODUCED andBY changingFRIEL, SCHLEGEL, CERRATO, HILL-EVANS, DONAHUE, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, APRIL 28, 2025, MALAGARI, K.HARRIS AND AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MAY 7, 2025 AN ACT Amending the lawsact of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating thereto,"to inthe pupilspublic andschool attendance,system, furtherincluding providingcertain forprovisions whenapplicable transportationas providedwell andto forprivate computationand ofparochial distances;schools;

and,amending, inrevising, reimbursementsconsolidating byand Commonwealthchanging andthe betweenlaws schoolrelating districts,thereto," in pupils and attendance, further providing for pupilwhen transportation data.provided and for <-- computation of distances;

and, in reimbursements by pupil transportation data.chool districts, providing for The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Sections 1361(1) and 1366 of the act of March 10, <-- 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, are amended to read:

* * * SectionSECTION 1366.1.

ComputationSECTION of1366 Distances.--Where,OF byTHE theACT termsOF ofMARCH this10, act,1949 or<-- any(P.L.30, otherNO.14), act,KNOWN anyAS distanceTHE isPUBLIC specifiedSCHOOL betweenCODE theOF residence1949, ofIS anyAMENDED pupilTO andREAD: any public school to be attended by him, or any transportation is provided for within or beyond 20250HB1326PN1518 - 2 - any particular distance, in computing such distance no allowance shall be made for the distance that the dwelling house of the pupil is situated off the public highway.

20250HB1326PN1647 - 2 - Section 1366.

Computation of Distances.--Where, by the terms of this act, or any other act, any distance is specified between the residence of any pupil and any public school to be attended by him, or any transportation is provided for within or beyond any particular distance, in computing such distance no allowance shall be made for the distance that the dwelling house of the pupil is situated off the public highway.

Pupil Transportation Data.--(a) Beginning with the information reported for the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter, each school entity entitled to reimbursement on account of pupil transportation shall provide in a format prescribed by the Department of Education, AND IN A <-- METHOD THAT IS NOT REDUNDANT OR OVERLY BURDENSOME FOR SCHOOL ENTITIES, the following data pertaining to pupil transportation:

<-- (i) The total number of students receiving pupil transportation services from the school entity.

(ii) The total number of students experiencing homelessness as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Public 20250HB1326PN1647 - 3 - Law 100-77, 101 Stat.

(2)ENTITY, ForTHE eachTOTAL vehicle,NUMBER anOF indicatorSTUDENTS ofRECEIVING whetherPUPIL the<-- vehicleTRANSPORTATION wasSERVICES usedFROM toTHE provideSCHOOL extraordinaryENTITY. transportation established in direct response to the severe health needs of the individual 20250HB1326PN1518 - 3 - student.

(3)(2) For studentseach enrolledvehicle, inan aindicator charterof schoolwhether andthe eligiblevehicle towas receiveused freeto pupilprovide extraordinary transportation servicesestablished fromin <-- direct response to the schoolsevere entity:health needs of the individual student EXPENSES.

<-- (3) For students enrolled in a charter school and eligible to receive free pupil transportation services from the school entity:

(ii) The total number of students experiencing homelessness <-- as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and as determined by the school entity.

(iii) (II) The school entity's pupil transportation <-- expenditures related to students enrolled in a charter school and receiving pupil transportation services from the school entity.

(ii) The total number of students experiencing homelessness <-- as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and as 20250HB1326PN1647 - 4 - determined by the school entity.

(iii) (II) The school entity's pupil transportation <-- expenditures related to students enrolled in a nonpublic school and receiving pupil transportation services from the school entity.

The Department of Education shall provide guidance for school entities on how to either track the actual costs to transport 20250HB1326PN1518 - 4 - nonpublic school students or determine a method of allocating a portion of the total transportation costs applicable to the transportation of nonpublic school students.

(b)(6) BeginningFOR withSTUDENTS theENROLLED 2025-2026IN schoolA yearSCHOOL andENTITY eachOR schoolNONPUBLIC year<-- thereafter,SCHOOL eachLOCATED schoolOUTSIDE entityOF entitledTHE toBOUNDARIES reimbursementOF onTHIS accountCOMMONWEALTH ofAND pupilELIGIBLE transportationTO shallRECEIVE provideFREE inPUPIL aTRANSPORTATION formatSERVICES andFROM uniformTHE standardSCHOOL prescribedENTITY: by the Department of Education, a detailed breakdown of pupil transportation expenditures as follows:

(1)(I) ForTHE theTOTAL expendituresNUMBER reportedOF underSTUDENTS subsectionRECEIVING (a)(3)PUPIL (iii):20250HB1326PN1647 - 5 - TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FROM THE SCHOOL ENTITY.

(i)(II) TheTHE nameSCHOOL ofENTITY'S eachPUPIL charterTRANSPORTATION schoolEXPENDITURES toRELATED whichTO aSTUDENTS schoolENROLLED entityIN transportedA residentSCHOOL students.ENTITY OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS COMMONWEALTH AND RECEIVING PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FROM THE SCHOOL ENTITY.

(ii)THE TheDEPARTMENT numberOF ofEDUCATION charterSHALL schoolPROVIDE studentsGUIDANCE theFOR schoolSCHOOL entityENTITIES 20250HB1326PN1518ON -HOW 5TO -EITHER transportedTRACK toTHE eachACTUAL charterCOSTS schoolTO listedTRANSPORT underTHESE subparagraphSCHOOL (i).STUDENTS OR DETERMINE A METHOD OF ALLOCATING A PORTION OF THE TOTAL TRANSPORTATION COSTS APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSPORTATION OF STUDENTS ATTENDING A SCHOOL ENTITY OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS COMMONWEALTH.

(A.1) EACH SCHOOL ENTITY SHALL REPORT THE FOLLOWING:

(1) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AT ANY POINT IN THE SCHOOL YEAR.

(2) THE TYPE OF SCHOOL ENTITY THAT THE STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WERE TRANSPORTED TO AND FROM, WHETHER THE STUDENT'S SCHOOL OF ORIGIN OR OTHERWISE.

(3) THE NUMBER OF DAYS THE STUDENT EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WAS TRANSPORTED TO OR FROM THE SCHOOL ENTITY.

(b) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and each school year thereafter, each school entity entitled to reimbursement on account of pupil transportation shall provide in a format and uniform standard prescribed by the Department of Education, AND <-- IN A METHOD THAT IS NOT REDUNDANT OR OVERLY BURDENSOME FOR SCHOOL ENTITIES, a detailed breakdown of pupil transportation expenditures as follows:

(1) For the expenditures reported under subsection (a)(3) <-- (iii) (A)(3)(II):

<-- (i) The name of each charter school to which a school entity 20250HB1326PN1647 - 6 - transported resident students.

(ii) The number of charter school students the school entity transported to each charter school listed under subparagraph (i).

(2) For the expenditures reported under subsection (a)(4) (iii):<-- (iii) (A)(4)(II):

<-- (i) The name of each nonpublic school to which a school entity transported resident students.

(3) FOR THE EXPENDITURES REPORTED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(6) <-- (II):

(I) THE NAME OF EACH SCHOOL ENTITY OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS COMMONWEALTH TO WHICH A SCHOOL ENTITY TRANSPORTED RESIDENT STUDENTS.

(II) THE TRANSPORTATION EXPENDITURES APPLICABLE TO EACH SCHOOL ENTITY OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS COMMONWEALTH LISTED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I).

(d) The Department of Education shall notify the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, the chairman and 20250HB1326PN1647 - 7 - minority chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Education Committee of the House of Representatives when the information is posted under subsection (c).