HB 2594 — 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, for excuses from attending school, for procedure when child is truant, for procedure by school when child habitually truant and for penalties for violating compulsory school attendance requirements.

Bill Text

• Printer's No. PN3506 View text Current pdf

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

The bill amends existing laws regarding attendance policies for charter schools and adds provisions to protect students from being penalized for unexcused absences based on transportation issues, among other changes.

• Section 1327.2(a.1)

  weekly

  Removes the requirement for cyber charter schools to establish weekly benchmarks for asynchronous instruction.

• Section 1327.2(c)

  [2) In addition to the reporting requirements under paragraph (1), cyber charter schools shall submit information related to the completion of the weekly benchmarks established under subsection (a.1)(3) annually through PIMS and the department shall post the information on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.]

  Eliminates the requirement for cyber charter schools to report completion of weekly benchmarks annually.

• Section 1329(b.1)

  A board of school directors of a school district may not create rules governing pupil attendance, absences and excusals that: (1) Assign an unexcused absence or unexcused tardy determination to students who are unable to attend school or delayed in attending school due to a lack of transportation provided by the local school district or a delayed transportation vehicle provided by the local school district.

  Prohibits school directors from penalizing students with unexcused absences due to transportation issues.

• Section 1329(b.1)

  (2) Assign an unexcused absence or unexcused tardy determination to students who are unable to attend school or delayed in attending school due to a lack of common carriers or a delay in common carriers if the local board of school directors chooses to provide students with free transportation through common carriers, in accordance with section 1362.

  Prohibits penalizing students for unexcused absences related to delays in common carrier transportation provided by school districts.

• Section 1329(b.1)

  (3) Assign an unexcused absence to students as a result of accumulating a certain number of unexcused tardy determinations.

  Prevents schools from assigning unexcused absences based on accumulated tardies.

• Section 1329(b.1)

  (4) Assign an unexcused absence to students if they are tardy for a class or are absent from a class.

  Clarifies that tardiness for class cannot be classified as an unexcused absence.

• Section 1333(a)(2.1)

  shall include notice to the person in parental relation that a child who is habitually truant may not transfer, during the school year, to a cyber charter school unless a judge determines that the transfer is in the best interest of the child;

  Removes the restriction on transferring to a cyber charter school for habitually truant children without a court determination.

• Section 1333(c.1)

  A child who is habitually truant may not transfer, during the school year, to a cyber charter school unless a judge determines that the transfer is in the best interest of the child.

  Eliminates the requirement for judicial approval for habitual truants to transfer to a cyber charter school.

• Section 1333.1(a)

  Shall refer the child to either of the following: (i) A school-based or community-based attendance improvement program. (ii) The county children and youth agency for services or for possible disposition as a dependent child under the provisions of 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to juvenile matters).

  Requires schools to refer habitually truant children to improvement programs or child services.

• Section 1333.3(i)

  At the time of conviction of a child for a violation of the requirements of compulsory school attendance under this article, the court shall make a determination on the ability of the child to transfer to a cyber charter school in accordance with section 1333(c.1).

  Removes the court's role in determining a child's eligibility to transfer to a cyber charter school upon conviction for truancy.

Action History

1. June 03, 2026

   Referred to Education

Sponsors

• Joe Hamm · Cosponsor
• Marc S. Anderson · Cosponsor
• Aaron Bernstine · Cosponsor
• Dane Watro · Cosponsor
• Jamie Walsh · Cosponsor
• Rob W. Kauffman · Cosponsor
• Russ Diamond · Cosponsor
• Kathy L. Rapp · Cosponsor
• Andrea C. Verobish · Cosponsor
• David H. Zimmerman · Cosponsor
• Barbara Gleim · Primary
• Milou Mackenzie · Cosponsor
• Charity Grimm Krupa · Cosponsor

Subjects