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," further providing for Keystone Exams;
6and providing for prohibition of certain actions affecting
7academic standards and assessments.

8The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9hereby enacts as follows:

10Section 1. Section 121 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
11No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, added June 30,
122012 (P.L.684, No.82), is amended and the section is amended by
13adding a subsection to read:

14Section 121. Keystone Exams.--[Subject](a) Except as 
15provided in subsection (b), subject to annual appropriation, not
16later than the 2020-2021 school year, the Department of
17Education shall develop and implement Keystone Exams in the
18following subjects: algebra I, literature, biology, English
19composition, algebra II, geometry, United States history,

1chemistry, civics and government and world history. The State
2Board of Education shall promulgate regulations, subject to the
3act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the "Regulatory
4Review Act," necessary to implement this section.

5(b) The Department of Education shall not implement
6modifications to the Keystone Exams through the amendment or
7modification of the provisions of 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 (relating to
8academic standards and assessment) until the expiration of the
9prohibition in section 2603-B.1.

10Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:

11Section 2603-B.1. Prohibition of Certain Actions Affecting
12Academic Standards and Assessments.

13(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
14the State Board of Education shall take no further action that
15amends or modifies the provisions of 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 (relating
16to academic standards and assessment) regarding the
17establishment and implementation of the Pennsylvania Common Core
18Standards and the realignment of the State assessments to those
19standards, including changes regarding the Keystone Exams
20through such final-form regulations that are pending on the
21effective date of this section.

22(b) The prohibition established in subsection (a) shall
23expire two (2) years following the completion of all of the
24following:

25(1) The State Board of Education and the Department of
26Education shall coordinate to prepare a report on the potential
27costs for school districts incurred under all final-form
28regulations indicated in subsection (a). The department shall
29post this report and all supporting documents and materials on
30its publicly accessible Internet website.

1(2) The State Board of Education and the Department of
2Education shall coordinate to prepare all of the following and
3the department shall post all of the following on its publicly
4accessible Internet website:

5(i) A summary of each final-form regulation indicated under
6subsection (a).

7(ii) A document that addresses all of the comments issued by 
8the Independent Regulatory Review Commission regarding each 
9final-form regulatory proposal indicated in subsection (b)(1).

10(iii) The score for the Keystone Exams by school district
11and school for the prior two (2) school years.

12(iv) A report on the impact of the requirements contained in
13each final-form regulation indicated in subsection (a) on the
14potential for a decrease in total instructional time in school
15districts resulting from the increase in time required to comply
16through the preparation for and administration of the
17assessments.

18(3) The completion of a report by an advisory commission
19reviewing the effectiveness of the current State Assessment
20System and determining whether improvements to the State
21Assessment System are required.

22(c) The Department of Education shall publish in the next
23Pennsylvania Bulletin the availability of each posting required
24under this section.

25Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.