PRINTER'S NO. 153
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
181
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, DIAMOND, HILL-EVANS AND STRUZZI,
JANUARY 28, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 28, 2019
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,
further providing for dates and times of school terms and
sessions and commencement.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1504(a) of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended to read:
Section 1504. Dates and Times of School Terms and Sessions;
Commencement.--(a) (1) The board of school directors of each
school district shall fix the date of the beginning of the
school term[.], except that, in a school district that is not on
a year-round education calendar, the beginning of a school term
for students shall not commence any earlier than the day after
Labor Day. The board of school directors may, upon approval by
the Secretary of Education, begin the school term prior to the
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day after Labor Day for situations beyond the control of the
school district as a result of major construction and renovation
to the school building or natural disaster.
(2) Unless otherwise determined by the board, the daily
session of school shall open at nine ante-meridian and close at
four post-meridian, with an intermission of one hour at noon,
and an intermission of fifteen minutes in the forenoon and in
the afternoon. Upon request of a board of school directors for
an exception to the aforesaid daily schedule, the Secretary of
Education may, when in his opinion a meritorious educational
program warrants, approve a school week containing a minimum of
twenty seven and one-half hours of instruction as the equivalent
of five (5) school days, or a school year containing a minimum
of nine hundred ninety hours of instruction at the secondary
level or nine hundred (900) hours of instruction at the
elementary level as the equivalent of one hundred eighty (180)
school days.
(3) Professional and temporary professional employes shall
be allowed a lunch period free of supervisory or other duties of
at least thirty minutes.
(4) The provisions of this subsection shall not be
construed:
(i) to repeal any rule or regulation of any board of school
directors now in effect which provides for a lunch period longer
than the minimum prescribed herein or to repeal any action of
any board of school directors taken in compliance with section 7
of the act of July 25, 1913 (P.L.1024, No.466), entitled "An act
to protect the public health and welfare, by regulating the
employment of females in certain establishments, with respect to
their hours of labor and the conditions of their employment; by
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establishing certain sanitary regulations in the establishments
in which they work; by requiring certain abstracts and notices
to be posted; by providing for the enforcement of this act by
the Commissioner of Labor and Industry and others; by
prescribing penalties for violations thereof; by defining the
procedure in prosecutions; and by repealing all acts and parts
of acts inconsistent with the provisions thereof," as
amended[.]; or
(ii) to prevent a school district from conducting in-service
sessions for teachers before Labor Day.
* * *
Section 2. Any contractually agreed-upon school calendar or
process that determines the school calendar in effect on the
effective date of this section between a school district and its
professional or nonprofessional employees and that is in
conflict with the provisions of this act shall remain in effect
for the duration of that contract.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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