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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 16, 2016 01:31 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Anthony H. Williams |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Passing the Trash ESSA Update |
| In the near future, I plan to re-introduce SB 1180 to provide a necessary update to Act 168 of 2014, Pennsylvania’s "Passing the Trash" law. Passed unanimously by both chambers, it provides critical protection to our children from known and habitual sexual predators in our Commonwealth’s classrooms. While this landmark legislation was heralded as a long overdue and commonsense measure, serving as model legislation for other states, the signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by President Obama requires an additional protection to ensure continued federal education funding eligibility. Act 168 provides penalties against employers for failing to review employment histories of employees who come into contact with children, as well as previous employers who fail to disclose or attempt to cover up a history of sexual misconduct claims. However, ESSA requires that states also provide penalties against any employee of a school, contractor and educational agency who provides assistance, other than routine transmission of personnel files, in gaining employment at other educational institutions when they know or should know that the applicant has engaged in sexual misconduct as defined under the statute. Closing this small loophole would prevent former colleagues and supervisors from providing personal recommendations for future employment at a school, punishable by a civil penalty. Previous co-sponsors of this legislation include Senators TEPLITZ, EICHELBERGER, RESCHENTHALER, FONTANA and AUMENT. Please join me in co-sponsoring this vital legislation to ensure continued eligibility for federal education spending for Pennsylvania’s schools and the continued safety of children across the Commonwealth. |
Introduced as SB363