Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 1982 P.N. 2275

PRINTER'S NO. 2275

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1982

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, SANCHEZ, GUENST, D. WILLIAMS, HILL-EVANS,

SCHLOSSBERG, DELLOSO, NEILSON, DRISCOLL AND DeLUCA,

OCTOBER 19, 2021

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, OCTOBER 19, 2021

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 school safety and security,

further providing for School Safety and Security Grant

Program and providing for COVID-19 disaster emergency school

health and safety grants for 2021-2022 school year and for

COVID-19 disaster emergency targeted health and safety grants

for 2021-2022 school year.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1306-B(h) of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is

amended by adding a paragraph to read:

Section 1306-B. School Safety and Security Grant Program.

* * *

(h) School Safety and Security Fund.--

* * *

(9) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during

the 2021-2022 fiscal year, $10,000,000 of the money in the

fund shall be used for grants under sections 1314-B and 1315-

B. The committee shall ensure that:

(i) grant money is distributed equitably for both

sets of grants under sections 1314-B and 1315-B, so that

grants are not exclusively or primarily allocated under

only one section; and

(ii) the per-student allocations for intermediate

units on behalf of nonpublic schools do not exceed the

per-student allocations for school entities, as defined

in section 1314-B(f).

* * *

Section 2. The act is amended by adding sections to read:

Section 1314-B. COVID-19 disaster emergency school health and

safety grants for 2021-2022 school year.

(a) Funding.--For the 2021-2022 school year, the amount of

money available under section 1306-B(h)(9) shall be used by the

committee to award school health and safety grants to school

entities as a result of the COVID-19 disaster emergency.

(b) Purposes of grants.--Each school entity shall be

eligible for a school health and safety grant as a result of the

COVID-19 disaster emergency for the following purposes:

(1) Purchasing of cleaning and sanitizing products that

meet the criteria for the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention or Department of Health.

(2) Purchasing of equipment, including personal

protective equipment, thermometers, infrared cameras and

other necessary items.

(3) Modification of existing areas to effectuate

appropriate social distancing to ensure the health and safety

of students and staff.

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(1) The committee shall develop and make an application

available to school entities no later than October 20, 2021.

(2) The application shall include the following

information:

(i) Contact information for the school entity.

(ii) The specific purpose for which the grant shall

be utilized, based upon the categories specified in

subsection (b), with boxes on the application for the

applicant to indicate the anticipated use of the grant

money.

(iii) Certification by the applicant that the funds

will be used for the stated purpose.

(iv) Any other information required by the

committee.

(3) Each school entity must submit an application for

grant money no later than October 30, 2021.

(d) Amount of grants.--The committee shall allocate grants

on or before November 15, 2021, to each school entity that

submits an application, in an amount determined as follows:

(1) Multiply the 2019-2020 average daily membership for

each school district by the amount available in subsection

(a).

(2) Divide the product from paragraph (1) by the 2019-

2020 average daily membership for all school districts.

(e) Audit and monitoring.--The committee shall randomly

audit and monitor grant recipients to ensure the appropriate use

of grant money and compliance with provisions of the grant

program.

(f) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

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words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this

subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"COVID-19 disaster emergency." The disaster emergency as

described in the proclamation of disaster emergency issued by

the Governor on March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March

21, 2020), and any renewal of the state of disaster emergency.

"School entity." As follows:

(1) A school district, area career and technical school,

intermediate unit, charter school or regional charter school.

(2) The term does not include a cyber charter school.

Section 1315-B. COVID-19 disaster emergency targeted health and

safety grants for 2021-2022 school year.

(a) Funding.--For the 2021-2022 school year, the amount of

money available under 1306-B(h)(9) shall be used by the

committee to award targeted grants to intermediate units on

behalf of nonpublic schools as a result of the COVID-19 disaster

emergency.

(b) Purpose of targeted grants.--Targeted health and safety

grant awards shall be made by the committee to intermediate

units on behalf of nonpublic schools to fund the following

programs, items or services that address the results of the

COVID-19 disaster emergency:

(1) Purchasing of cleaning and sanitizing products that

meet the criteria specified by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention or the Department of Health.

(2) Purchasing of equipment, including personal

protective equipment, thermometers, infrared cameras and

other necessary items.

(3) Modification of existing areas to effectuate

appropriate social distancing to ensure the health and safety

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of students and staff.

(1) The committee shall develop and make an application

available to intermediate units to apply for targeted grants

on behalf of nonpublic schools no later than October 20,

2021.

(2) The committee shall notify intermediate units and

nonpublic schools of the availability of grants under this

program, including the deadlines for application.

(3) An intermediate unit may apply for targeted grants

upon the request of a nonpublic school or combination of

nonpublic schools located within the intermediate unit.

(4) The application shall include the following

information:

(i) C ontact information for the intermediate unit

and the nonpublic school.

(ii) The specific purpose for which the targeted

grant shall be utilized, based upon the categories in

subsection (b), with boxes on the application for the

applicant to indicate the anticipated use of the targeted

grant money.

(iii) Certification by the applicant that the funds

will be used for the stated purpose.

(iv) Any other information required by the

committee.

(5) Intermediate units must submit applications on

behalf of a nonpublic school or combination of nonpublic

schools no later than November 8, 2021.

(d) Targeted grant allocation.--

(1) Targeted grants shall be allocated through a grant

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review process established by the committee.

(2) The targeted grant awards shall be geographically

dispersed.

(3) No intermediate unit on behalf of a nonpublic school

shall be awarded a targeted grant that exceeds $10,000. For

targeted grant applications made by an intermediate unit on

behalf of a combination of nonpublic schools, the targeted

grant shall not exceed the value of the number of schools for

which the intermediate unit is making the combined

application multiplied by $10,000.

(4) The committee shall award targeted grants by

December 1, 2021.

(e) Audit and monitoring.--The committee shall randomly

audit and monitor targeted grant recipients to ensure the

appropriate use of the targeted grant money and compliance with

provisions of the program applicable to targeted grants.

(f) Limitations.--In carrying out the duties of this

section, the intermediate unit may not use more than 2% of the

money the intermediate unit receives under this section for

targeted grant administration.

(g) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "COVID-19

disaster emergency" means the disaster emergency as described in

the proclamation of disaster emergency issued by the Governor on

March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020), and

any renewal of the state of disaster emergency.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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