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.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

3524 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

3582 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

WILLIAMS, NEILSON, CIRESICIRESI, GREEN AND GREEN,SHUSTERMAN, JUNE 4, 2026 REFERREDAS TOREPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 4,10, 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;

amending, revising, consolidating and changing the lawsproviding relatingfor thereto,"attendance inpolicy pupilsat andcharter, attendance,regional furthercharter and cyber charter schools;

in charter schools, furtherharterfurther 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 20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 2 - weekly benchmarks.

* * * (d) For cyber charter schools under subsection (a.1), no 20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 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:

* * * (d) Parent or guardian.--[Upon request and prior to the student's first day in a cyber charter school,] At the time of a 20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 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 20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 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.

20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 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.

20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 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 20260HB2602PN352420260HB2602PN3582 - 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.

(iii) Signs of acute physical or mental health <-- deterioration, substance abuse, psychosis or other SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR behaviors suggesting urgent <-- psychiatric needs.

20260HB2602PN3582 - 9 - (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.

<-- (f) Reviewing and revising.--No later than August 1 each year, a cyberBY charterAUGUST school1, shall2026. annually review its plan and submit any revisions to the department for approval.

(g)EACH Activations.--AUGUST (1)1 EachTHEREAFTER, EACH cyber <-- charter school shall maintainannually activationsreview ofits theplan childand protectionsubmit andany support<-- plan,revisions andto the datedepartment eachfor wellnessapproval. 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.

20260HB2602PN3582 - 10 - (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.

(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:

"School employee." An individual who is employed by a school 20260HB2602PN3582 - 11 - or who provides a program, activity or service sponsored by a school.

The term does not include administrative or other 20260HB2602PN3524 - 11 - support personnel who have no direct contact with children.

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