HB 1663 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, establishing the Statewide Children's Literacy Program and the Children's Literacy Program of Pennsylvania Restricted Account; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.

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20312031, 2710 PRINTER'S NO.

27102720 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

1663 2025 INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, KHAN, HOWARD, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, FREEMAN, FRANKEL, OTTEN, WEBSTER, CERRATO, GREEN, O'MARA, DAVIDSON, POWELL, SALISBURY, K.HARRIS AND MADSEN, JUNE 25, 2025 AS AMENDEDRE-REPORTED ONFROM SECONDCOMMITTEE CONSIDERATION,ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, DECEMBER 16,17, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An provisionsact applicablerelating asto wellthe topublic privateschool andsystem, parochialrtainincluding certain schools;

amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," establishing the Statewide ImaginationChildren's LibraryLiteracy CHILDREN'S LITERACY Program and the <--Children's ImaginationLiteracy LibraryProgram CHILDREN'S LITERACY PROGRAM of <-- Pennsylvania Restricted Account;

ARTICLE XXIII-B STATEWIDE IMAGINATION LIBRARY CHILDREN'S LITERACY PROGRAM <-- Section 2301-B.

"Account." The ImaginationChildren's LibraryLiteracy CHILDREN'SProgram LITERACY <-- PROGRAM of Pennsylvania Restricted Account established under section 2302-B.

"CHILDREN'S"Children's LITERACYLiteracy PROGRAMProgram PARTNER."Partner." A NONPROFITnonprofit ENTITYentity <--qualified QUALIFIEDunder UNDER 26 U.S.C.

§ 501(C)(3)501(c)(3) (RELATING(relating TOto EXEMPTIONexemption FROMfrom TAXtax ONon CORPORATIONS,corporations, CERTAINcertain TRUSTS,trusts, ETC.)etc.) ANDand ORGANIZEDorganized SOLELYsolely TOto PROMOTEpromote ANDand ENCOURAGEencourage READINGreading BYby CHILDREN.children.

"Program." The Statewide ImaginationChildren's LibraryLiteracy CHILDREN'S <-- LITERACY Program established under section 2303-B.

"Qualified local entity." An existing or new localPennsylvania- Dollybased <-- Parton's Imagination Library program partner PENNSYLVANIA-BASEDof <--a PARTNERChildren's OFLiteracy AProgram CHILDREN'SPartner. LITERACY PROGRAM PARTNER.

ImaginationChildren's LibraryLiteracy CHILDREN'SProgram LITERACY PROGRAM <-- of Pennsylvania Restricted Account.

(a) Establishment.--The ImaginationChildren's LibraryLiteracy CHILDREN'SProgram <-- LITERACY PROGRAM of Pennsylvania Restricted Account is established as a restricted account in the General Fund.

(c) Allocation.--Money from the account shall be allocated to qualified local entities that agree to a dollar-for-dollar match for purposes of the program.program AND TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR <-- OVERSIGHT UNDER SECTION 2304-B(B).

The department may waive the 20250HB1663PN2710 - 2 - dollar-for-dollar match requirement for a qualified local entity 20250HB1663PN2720 - 2 - on a case-by-case basis to prevent undue financial hardship.

Statewide ImaginationChildren's LibraryLiteracy CHILDREN'S <-- LITERACY Program.

(a) Establishment and purpose.--The Statewide ImaginationChildren's <--Literacy Library CHILDREN'S LITERACY Program is established in the <-- department to promote the development of a comprehensive Statewide initiative to encourage eligible children from birth to five <-- years of age ELIGIBLE CHILDREN to develop a love of reading and <-- learning.

(b) Providing books.--Qualified local entities shall use allocated<-- money(B) toPROVIDING provideBOOKS.-- one<-- age-appropriate(1) bookQUALIFIED toLOCAL eachENTITIES registeredSHALL childUSE fromallocated birthmoney to fiveprovide yearsone ofage-appropriate agebook into <--each participatingregistered countieseligible ELIGIBLEchild CHILDin INthe THEqualified QUALIFIEDlocal LOCALentity's <--service ENTITY'Sarea. SERVICE AREA.

A BOOKbook PROVIDEDprovided UNDERunder THISthis <--subsection SUBSECTIONmay MAYnot NOTcontain CONTAINdepictions DEPICTIONSof OFsexual SEXUALactivity, ACTIVITY,child CHILDpornography, PORNOGRAPHY,pornography, PORNOGRAPHY,nudity NUDITYor ORsexual SEXUALconduct, CONDUCT,or ORmaterial MATERIALthat THATis ISobscene OBSCENEas ASdefined DEFINEDin IN 18 PA.C.S.Pa.C.S.

§ 5903(B)5903(b) (RELATING(relating TOto OBSCENEobscene ANDand OTHERother SEXUALsexual MATERIALSmaterials ANDand PERFORMANCES).performances).

(c)(2) Matching.--InWHEN accordanceAN withELIGIBLE sectionCHILD 2302-B(c),IS theREGISTERED, department,THE ifQUALIFIED money<-- isLOCAL availableENTITY INSHALL PROVIDE THE ACCOUNT,CHILD'S shallFAMILY matchWITH <--INFORMATION theABOUT amountHOW requiredTO ofOBTAIN localA programsLIBRARY QUALIFIEDCARD LOCALFROM ENTITIESTHE <--LOCAL participatingLIBRARY. in the program.

20250HB1663PN2710(c) Matching.--In accordance with section 2302-B(c), the department, if money is available in the account, shall match the amount required of qualified local entities participating in 20250HB1663PN2720 - 3 - Sectionthe 2304-B.program.

Section 2304-B.

(a) Administration.--The department shall administer the program and shall coordinate with a nonprofitChildren's entity,Literacy qualifiedProgram <--Partner underfor 26the U.S.C.purpose of implementing this article.

§(b) 501(c)(3)Oversight.--Subject (relating to exemptionavailable fromfunds taxin onthe corporations,account, certainthe trusts,department etc.),shall andprovide organizedoversight solely to promotea andChildren's encourageLiteracy readingProgram byPartner theto childrendo all of this Commonwealth, CHILDREN'S LITERACY PROGRAM PARTNER for the <--following: purpose of implementing this article.

(b) Oversight.--The SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE FUNDS IN THE <-- ACCOUNT, THE department shall provide oversight to the nonprofit <-- entity in subsection (a) A CHILDREN'S LITERACY PROGRAM PARTNER <-- to do all of the following:

(2) Promote the Statewide development of qualified local Dollyentities. <-- Parton's Imagination Library programs QUALIFIED LOCAL <-- ENTITIES.

(3) Advance and strengthen qualified local Dollyentities. Parton's <-- Imagination Library programs QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITIES.

<-- (4) Develop community engagement initiatives.

(6) Administer the local match requirement and coordinate the collection and remittance of qualified local programentity <-- QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITY costs for books and mailing.

<-- (7) Develop Statewide marketing and communication plans.

(8) Solicit donations, gifts and other funding to financially support qualified local Dollyentities. Parton's Imagination Library <-- 20250HB1663PN2710 - 4 - programs QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITIES.

<-- (c) RegulationsGuidelines.--The GUIDELINES.--The department may promulgateissue <--guidelines regulations ISSUE GUIDELINES as needed for the administration of <-- the program.

The department shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly, no later than Januarythe 1, 2026, and each January 1 <--following thereafter,the THEend JANUARYof 1the FOLLOWINGfiscal THEyear ENDin OFwhich THEfunds FISCALwere YEARallocated <--from INthe WHICHaccount, FUNDSa WERE20250HB1663PN2720 ALLOCATED- FROM4 THE- ACCOUNT, a report that includes the following:

(3) How many qualified local programsentities QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITIES <-- exist, where the programs are located and whichthe entityname orof <-- organization serves as the qualified local partnerentity. THE NAME OF THE <-- QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITY.

(4) How many children are enrolledregistered inby aqualified programlocal <--entities REGISTERED BY QUALIFIED LOCAL ENTITIES and how many books <-- those children have received.

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