PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2014 PRINTER'S NO. 2948
No. 1689 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY READSHAW, GIGLIOTTI, ROBINSON, WALKO, HALUSKA,
CORRIGAN, COLAIZZO, DeLUCA, TRELLO, MICOZZIE, M. N. WRIGHT,
WOGAN, BEBKO-JONES AND BOSCOLA, JUNE 5, 1995
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, DECEMBER 13, 1995
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222),
2 entitled, as amended, "An act prohibiting certain practices
3 of discrimination because of race, color, religious creed,
4 ancestry, age or national origin by employers, employment
5 agencies, labor organizations and others as herein defined;
6 creating the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the
7 Governor's Office; defining its functions, powers and duties;
8 providing for procedure and enforcement; providing for
9 formulation of an educational program to prevent prejudice;
10 providing for judicial review and enforcement and imposing
11 penalties," further providing for the powers of the
12 Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission relating to
13 assignment of students and for educational programs.
14 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15 hereby enacts as follows:
16 Section 1. Section 8 of the act of October 27, 1955
17 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations
18 Act, amended December 20, 1991 (P.L.414, No.51), is amended to
19 read:
20 Section 8. Educational Program.--
21 The Commission, in cooperation with the Department of
22 Education, is authorized to [prepare a comprehensive] recommend
1 a multicultural educational program, designed for the students
2 of the schools in this Commonwealth and for all other residents
3 thereof, WITH EMPHASIS ON FOREIGN CULTURAL AND LANGUAGE STUDIES, <--
4 AS WELL AS ON THE BASIC, SHARED PRECEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF
5 UNITED STATES CULTURE, in order to [eliminate prejudice against]
6 promote cultural UNDERSTANDING AND appreciation and to further <--
7 good will among all persons, without regard to race, color,
8 familial status, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national
9 origin, handicap or disability.
10 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
11 Section 8.2. Additional Powers and Duties.--(a) The
12 Commission shall formulate voluntary recommendations designed to
13 assist educational institutions in eliminating prejudice and
14 fostering appreciation of diversity.
15 (b) The Commission shall not have any authority to order any
16 school district or other governing entities that would TO <--
17 require students to be assigned to any school, other than the <--
18 school closest to their home of appropriate grade level. The
19 Commission shall insure that no child is assigned to a school
20 because of race, religion, color, sex, ancestry or national
21 origin. A STUDENT TO BE ASSIGNED INVOLUNTARILY TO ANY SCHOOL, <--
22 OTHER THAN THE SCHOOL OF APPROPRIATE GRADE LEVEL THAT THE
23 STUDENT QUALIFIES TO ATTEND CLOSEST TO THE STUDENT'S HOME,
24 SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF A STUDENT'S RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, SEX,
25 ANCESTRY OR NATIONAL ORIGIN. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, A
26 STUDENT WHO REQUIRES ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION
27 MAY BE ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL WHERE SUCH INSTRUCTION IS
28 AVAILABLE.
29 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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