Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 0481 P.N. 3460

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 449

PRINTER'S NO. 3460

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

481

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, MADDEN, SANCHEZ, CIRESI, KENYATTA,

GUENST, HILL-EVANS, SHUSTERMAN, BRIGGS, FLEMING AND GREEN,

MARCH 16, 2023

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JULY 1, 2024

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 certification of teachers,

providing for "What is your Pennsylvania Story" continuing

professional development course; and, in terms and courses of

study, further providing for Holocaust, genocide and human

rights violations instruction.

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 1221. "What is your Pennsylvania Story" Continuing

Professional Development Course.--(a) The TO THE EXTENT FUNDING

IS AVAILABLE, THE department shall develop and implement a

continuing professional development course on each student's

"What is your Pennsylvania Story" in anticipation of the United

States semiquincentennial that may be used by :

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(1) Professional educators to satisfy the requirements of

section 1205.2.

(2) School or system leaders to satisfy the requirements of

section 1205.5.

(3) Paraprofessionals to satisfy staff development

requirements under 22 Pa. Code § 14.105 (relating to personnel).

(b) The department shall develop the continuing professional

development course in a manner which provides professional

educators with information and strategies which can be

incorporated into instruction and general interactions with

students in order to encourage students to express who they are

as the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, which

shall include this Commonwealth's unique heritage of religious

freedom and relationship to the development of the Constitution

of the United States and may include students' experiences with

how the students and the students' families have navigated with

our democracy and religious freedoms.

enhance the ability of students to interact effectively with one

another as students in each county of this Commonwealth, and

students shall share "What is your Pennsylvania Story," which

may include the following:

(1) Awareness of a person's own cultural worldview.

(2) Attitude toward cultural differences.

(3) Knowledge of different cultural practices and

worldviews.

(4) Cross-cultural skills.

(d) The continuing professional development course shall be

research-based and include training on the following:

(1) Information and strategies, including listening to the

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unique "What is your Pennsylvania Story" of students, to

encourage students to:

(i) Become more historically and culturally aware of this

Commonwealth's unique heritage of religious freedom.

(ii) Reject ethnic, cultural and religious biases.

(2) Resolving disputes between students that result from

ethnic and cultural disputes.

(3) Resolving disputes between students that result from

religious biases.

(4) The dynamics of prejudice and discrimination that impede

effective learning and dialogue principles for effective

communication.

(5) Civil rights awareness.

(6) Intellectual, physical and behavioral disability

awareness.

(e) Continuing professional development course materials may

include the following:

(1) Materials that educate students by introducing the

students to various cultures through the stories that students

relay about who the students are and how the students' families

weave into the Pennsylvania and United States experience.

(2) Teaching aids that allow students to explore cultures

through food, art, books, movies, dance, traditions and cross-

cultural experiences.

(3) Resources that allow students to explore the cultural

experience of other people, the history, present-day experiences

and connection to the American culture and fabric of our land.

(4) Educational aids that provide students with information

on the historical and lived experiences of the inhabitants of

this Commonwealth, the inhabitants' experiences arriving in this

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Commonwealth and development over the years.

(f) By July 31, 2023 2025 , and each July 31 thereafter until

2028, the department shall submit to the chairperson and

minority chairperson of the Education Committee of the Senate

and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Education

Committee of the House of Representatives a report which shall

include:

(1) The number of professional educators that have enrolled

in the continuing professional development course.

(2) The number of professional educators that have completed

the continuing professional development course.

(3) The number of school entities that have implemented

classroom instruction in the "What is your Pennsylvania Story"

curriculum.

(4) Issues that professional educators, administrators,

students or the department have identified and need to be

addressed.

(g) The continuing professional development course under

this section shall be voluntary and offered online at no cost to

professional educators.

(h) The department shall review the training materials every

two (2) years and issue revisions if necessary to ensure best

practices in the field.

(i) The department may approve other providers of continuing

professional development course and staff development that meets

the criteria of this section.

(j) 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

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Commonwealth.

"Paraprofessional." An instructional paraprofessional within

the meaning of 22 Pa. Code § 14.105.

"Professional educator." As defined in section 1205.2(o).

"School or system leaders." As defined in section 1205.5(g).

"What is your Pennsylvania Story." A student's understanding

and observance of who the student is and the unique lived

experiences that each student and the student's family bring to

the Pennsylvania story.

Section 2. Section 1554(a), (b)(1) and (c) 1554(A)(2), (B)

(1) AND (C) of the act are amended to read:

Section 1554. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights

Violations Instruction.--(a) (1) Beginning with school year

2015-2016, each school entity may offer instruction in the

Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to students. The

instruction shall be integrated within the social studies and

language arts courses of study required in accordance with State

Board of Education regulations. Instruction may also be

integrated into other appropriate courses of study. * * *

(2) The [Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations]

instruction permitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall:

(i) Be age appropriate.

(ii) Be sequential in method of study.

(iii) Communicate the connection between national, ethnic,

racial [or], religious or cultural intolerance and the subjects

described in subsection (b).

(iv) Communicate the impact of personal responsibility,

civic engagement and societal response within the context of the

subjects described in subsection (b).

(3) School entities may utilize any appropriate public or

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private materials, personnel and other resources in developing

and implementing the program of instruction permitted pursuant

to paragraph (1). The Department of Education shall distribute

information about appropriate curriculum materials to each

school entity. School entities may utilize any curriculum that

complies with the requirements of this subsection.

* * *

(b) (1) The Department of Education shall establish

curriculum guidelines [no later than twelve (12) months after

the effective date of this section] to foster implementation of

this section by school entities. The guidelines shall encourage

the inclusion of all of the following subjects where appropriate

in the instruction:

(i) The breadth of the history of the Holocaust, including

the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system,

persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish

resistance and post-World War II trials.

(ii) The definition, history, response and actions taken in

the face of genocide, including the Holocaust and any other

genocide perpetrated against humanity, including the Rwandan

genocide and other genocides committed in Africa, Asia and

Europe.

(iii) Human rights violations.

(iv) Anti-Semitism, racism and the abridgment of civil

rights.

(v) "What is your Pennsylvania Story" curriculum.

* * *

Department of Education shall make available, to all school

entities, in-service training programs based upon the

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instruction provided for under subsection (a) and the curriculum

guidelines established pursuant to subsection (b).

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Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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