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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 18, 2017 09:22 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tedd C. Nesbit and Rep. Robert F. Matzie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Requiring the Use of Prototypical Design in the Construction of School Facilities |
| In the near future, we will be reintroducing legislation (Prior HB 2388) that will help to curtail and stabilize school construction costs. In our continuing efforts to look at ways to control the cost of education across our Commonwealth, we must look at every aspect of school spending. One of the largest expenses a school district can incur is that of the construction of a new facility. Those dollars come from our taxpayers, and we have an obligation to see that they are getting the most “bang for their buck.” Our legislation requires any school entity to use a Department of Education approved, prototypical design in the construction of school facilities. The Department of Education will establish a prototypical school design clearinghouse, which can be accessed and utilized by any school entity in Pennsylvania. Plans offered in the clearinghouse will have been submitted by design professionals registered in the Commonwealth and approved by the Department. The Department will make these approved designs available for review by school entities and the public at large. The Department will devise a grading system to review and evaluate plans based on several criteria: health, safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, environmental protection, academic and technological need, cost effectiveness, ability for future expansion, use of durable materials, and the preservation of open space. The bill also calls for the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study – at the conclusion of the fifth year – to determine the savings incurred by school entities that have used the clearinghouse. We hope that you will join us to help curb some of the costs of education by supporting this important measure. Prior Cosponsors: GREINER, JAMES, LAWRENCE, BLOOM, MENTZER, WARD, ZIMMERMAN, RADER, FEE, KORTZ, WATSON, GABLER, GILLEN and YOUNGBLOOD |
Introduced as HB711