PRINTER'S NO. 576
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
535
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, BREWSTER, YUDICHAK, TARTAGLIONE, WHITE,
WARD, RAFFERTY, MENSCH, COSTA, BROWNE, VULAKOVICH, FARNESE
AND HAYWOOD, MARCH 24, 2017
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 24, 2017
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
laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
providing for child opioid awareness education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1528. Child Opioid Awareness Education.--(a)
Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, each school entity
shall:
(1) Develop an age-appropriate child opioid awareness and
education program and incorporate the program into the school
entity's existing curriculum for students in grades six through
twelve. In developing the program, the school entity may use the
model curriculum developed by the department under subsection
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(b)(1).
(2) Include training in child opioid awareness in the
professional development plan submitted by the school entity to
the secretary for approval under section 1205.1. A school entity
shall provide four (4) hours of training every five (5) years
for professional educators assigned to teach courses into which
child opioid awareness education has been incorporated under
paragraph (1). Training under this paragraph may be used to
satisfy a professional educator's continuing professional
education requirement under section 1205.2. A school entity may
use the materials made available by the department under
subsection (b)(2) to conduct the training.
(b) The department, in consultation with the Department of
Health, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and at least
one organization addressing child opioid awareness and
education, shall do all of the following:
(1) Develop a model child opioid awareness and education
curriculum, which may include materials already publicly
available, and make the curriculum available to all school
entities and, upon request, to nonpublic schools.
(2) Compile, develop and post on its publicly accessible
Internet website recommended guidelines and educational
materials for the training provided for under subsection (a)(2).
Materials that are already publicly available may be used.
(c) 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:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Nonpublic school." A nonprofit school:
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(1) in which a resident of this Commonwealth may legally
fulfill the compulsory school attendance requirements of this
act; and
(2) which meets the requirements of Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352, 42 U.S.C. ยง 2000d et
seq.).
The term does not include a school entity.
"Professional educator." As defined in section 1205.2(o).
"School entity." A school district, joint school district,
charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter school,
intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school.
"Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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