1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An 
2act relating to the public school system, including certain 
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial 
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the 
5laws relating thereto," in grounds and buildings, providing 
6for a prototypical school facility design clearinghouse.

7The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8hereby enacts as follows:

9Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known 
10as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a 
11section to read:

12Section 732.2. Prototypical School Facility Design
13Clearinghouse.--(a) (1) The Department of Education shall
14establish a central clearinghouse of prototypical school
15facility designs for access by school entities.

16(2) In order to receive the State reimbursement factor
17provided for in section 2574, a school entity must use a
18prototype design in the construction of school facilities.

19(3) (i) The Department of Education may exempt a school
20entity from participating in the program for a particular

1project, if the school entity demonstrates that:

2(A) the designs in the clearinghouse are not feasible for
3that particular project due to specific geographic or other
4limitations of that area; or

5(B) the project involves remodeling, rehabilitating or
6expanding an existing structure.

7(ii) The Department of Education shall provide notice to a 
8school entity that is exempt from using a design in the 
9clearinghouse under this paragraph. The notice shall also be 
10made available to the public by the school entity.

11(4) The Department of Education shall compile necessary
12publications and a computer database to make the information on
13prototype designs available for review to school entities and
14the public at large.

15(5) For purposes of this section, the Department of
16Education shall divide this Commonwealth into the following
17regions: northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest, north
18central and south central. The Department of Education shall
19designate which counties are in each region by grouping counties
20together based on geographic proximity.

21(b) Design professionals registered in this Commonwealth may
22submit plans for inclusion in the computer database that have
23been submitted and approved by the Department of Education in
24accordance with section 731. The original design professional of
25record shall retain ownership of a prototype design.
26Prototypical school facility designs submitted shall include
27information that the Department of Education determines is
28necessary and appropriate to facilitate this section.

29(c) The Department of Education shall review and evaluate
30plans submitted pursuant to this section for inclusion in the

1clearinghouse using standards that promote the following:

2(1) The use of design principles to achieve the highest
3standards of health, safety, accessibility, environmental
4protection and energy efficiency.

5(2) The academic and technological needs of students.

6(3) The use of cost-effective design and construction
7techniques, including the use of straight-line, right-angle
8design principles and avoiding the use of curved and
9nonsymmetrical design.

10(4) The use of design principles that allow for expansion of
11school facilities to accommodate future growth in student
12population.

13(5) The use of durable materials in construction.

14(6) The preservation of open space.

15(d) The Department of Education shall group the designs
16accepted for the clearinghouse by the regions established under
17subsection (a)(5), based on energy needs for heating and
18cooling, building size, average school entity population in the
19region, layout of the building, whether one story or multiple
20stories, and structural requirements due to climatic or
21geographic difficulties.

22(e) The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee shall
23conduct a study of the Department of Education's program to
24determine the savings achieved by school entities that have
25participated in the program. The study shall be conducted at the
26conclusion of the fifth year of operation and shall include
27program participation for the five-year period from inspection
28until its fifth anniversary. The study shall be presented within
29six months of its commencement to the chairpersons of the
30Education Committee of the Senate and the Education Committee of

1the House of Representatives.

2(f) The Department of Education shall adopt rules necessary
3to implement this section.

4(g) As used in this section, the term "school entity" means 
5a school district, intermediate unit, area vocational-technical 
6school or charter school operating within this Commonwealth 
7under provisions of this act.

8Section 2. This act shall take effect in 180 days.