PRINTER'S NO. 943
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
843
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY MURT, FREEMAN, NEILSON, READSHAW, DONATUCCI,
KINSEY, MARKOSEK, ISAACSON, HILL-EVANS AND McCLINTON,
MARCH 14, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 14, 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 dating violence education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1553 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 1553. Dating Violence Education.--(a) The
department, through its Office for Safe Schools, and in
consultation with the State Board of Education, shall:
(1) Develop, within six (6) months of the effective date of
this section, a model dating violence policy to assist school
districts in developing policies for dating violence reporting
and response.
(2) Consult with at least one (1) domestic violence center
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and at least one (1) rape crisis center in developing the model
dating violence policy.
(b) (1) [Each school district may] Beginning with the 2020-
2021 school year, each school entity shall establish a specific
policy to address incidents of dating violence involving
students at school.
(2) The policy [may] shall include, but need not be limited
to: a statement that dating violence will not be tolerated;
violence reporting procedures; discipline procedures for
students that commit violence at school; and contact information
for and resources available through domestic violence programs
and rape crisis programs.
(3) [A school district that establishes the policy] Each
school entity shall:
(i) Publish the policy in any school [district] entity
policy or handbook that specifies the comprehensive rules,
procedures and standards of conduct for students at school.
(ii) Make the policy available on its publicly available
Internet website.
(iii) Provide parents and guardians with a copy of the
policy.
[(4) The State Board of Education shall conduct a study of
the benefits and detriments of mandatory dating violence
education and shall submit a report of its recommendations to
the chairman and minority chairman of the Education Committee of
the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the
Education Committee of the House of Representatives within three
(3) years of the effective date of this section.]
(c) (1) [A school district may provide] Beginning with the
2020-2021 school year, each school entity shall provide at the
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high school level annual dating violence training to guidance
counselors, nurses [and], mental health staff [at the high
school level.] and all instructors whose teaching
responsibilities include a course of study in which instruction
under subsection (d) is integrated. Upon the recommendation of
the [district superintendent] chief school administrator, other
staff may be included or may attend the training on a voluntary
basis. The school [district] entity may also provide dating
violence training to parents.
(2) The dating violence training [may] shall include, but
need not be limited to: basic principles of dating violence;
warning signs of dating violence; the school [district's]
entity's dating violence policy; appropriate responses to
incidents of dating violence at school; and services and
resources available through domestic violence programs and rape
crisis programs.
(d) (1) [A school district may] Beginning with the 2020-
2021 school year, each school entity shall incorporate dating
violence education that is age appropriate into the annual
health curriculum framework for students in grades nine (9)
through twelve (12). In developing such a policy, the school
[district] entity shall consult with at least one (1) domestic
violence program or rape crisis program that serves the region
where the school [district] entity is located.
(2) Dating violence education [may] shall include, but need
not be limited to: defining dating violence and recognizing
dating violence warning signs; characteristics of healthy
relationships; information regarding peer support and the role
friends and peers have in addressing dating violence; and
contact information for and the services and resources available
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through domestic violence centers and rape crisis centers,
including detailed information concerning safety planning,
availability and enforcement of protection from abuse orders and
the availability of other services and assistance for students
and their families.
(3) The department, through its Office for Safe Schools, in
consultation with at least one (1) domestic violence center and
at least one (1) rape crisis center, shall provide school
[districts] entities with grade-appropriate educational
materials regarding dating violence and healthy relationships
for the purpose of assisting school [districts] entities in
preparing an instructional program on dating violence. The
department may use educational materials that are already
publicly available for this purpose.
(4) A parent or legal guardian of a student who is under
eighteen (18) years of age, within a reasonable period of time
after the request is made, shall be permitted to examine the
dating violence education program instructional materials at the
school in which the student is enrolled.
(5) At the request of a parent or guardian, a student shall
be excused from all or parts of the dating violence education
program. The principal shall notify all parents or guardians of
their ability to withdraw their children from instruction in the
program by returning a signed opt-out form.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing
a person from seeking judicial relief from dating violence under
any other law or as establishing or modifying any civil
liability.
(f) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
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"At school." The term shall have the meaning given to school
property as defined in section 1301-A.
"Dating partner." A person, regardless of gender, involved
in an intimate relationship with another person, primarily
characterized by the expectation of affectionate involvement,
whether casual, serious or long term.
"Dating violence." Behavior where one person uses threats
of, or actually uses, physical, sexual, verbal or emotional
abuse to control the person's dating partner.
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Domestic violence center." The term shall have the meaning
given in section 2333 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929."
"Domestic violence program." The term shall have the meaning
given in section 2333 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929."
"Rape crisis center." The term shall have the meaning given
in section 2333 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175),
known as "The Administrative Code of 1929."
"Rape crisis program." The term shall have the meaning given
in section 2333 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175),
known as "The Administrative Code of 1929."
"School entity." A school district, intermediate unit, area
vocational-technical school, charter school, cyber charter
school or regional charter school.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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