PRINTER'S NO. 1739
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1584
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY BENHAM, N. NELSON, DELLOSO, PARKER, McCLINTON,
MADDEN, HOHENSTEIN, SANCHEZ, SIMS, OTTEN AND INNAMORATO,
JUNE 9, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 9, 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 terms and courses of study,
providing for human trafficking prevention education.
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 1529. Human Trafficking Prevention Education.--(a)
Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, each public school
student in grades six through twelve shall receive annual
instruction on human trafficking prevention.
(b) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, each school
entity shall develop an age-appropriate human trafficking
prevention program and incorporate this program into the health
course of study or another appropriate course of study in
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accordance with State Board of Education regulations.
(c) The human trafficking prevention program developed under
subsection (b) shall include, but not be limited to, the
following:
(1) Information on the warning signs of human trafficking.
(2) Terms used by human traffickers.
(3) Signs that indicate a human trafficker's malicious
intent toward an individual.
(4) Websites that are popular with human traffickers.
(5) Differences between labor trafficking and sex
trafficking.
(6) Examples of human trafficking.
(7) At-risk populations for human trafficking.
(8) Details on how a student can get help to prevent and
report human trafficking.
(9) The importance of community-based organizations, such as
rape crisis centers, in preventing sexual exploitation and
trafficking.
(10) The relationship between human trafficking and sexual
assault and sexual exploitation.
(d) A student may be excused from a class providing
instruction under this section upon the written request from a
student's parent or guardian.
(e) Within one hundred eighty (180) days of the effective
date of this section, the department shall develop a model human
trafficking prevention program for a school entity to utilize to
comply with the requirements of this section. This model program
shall be publicly available on the department's publicly
accessible Internet website and shall be based on nationally
recognized principles of successful prevention programs.
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(f) A school entity may, but shall not be required to, use
the model program developed under subsection (e) to comply with
the requirements of this section.
(g) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the department
shall develop and make available to all school entities in-
service training programs based upon the instruction
requirements established under this section and the model
prevention program developed under subsection (e). The in-
service training programs developed under this subsection shall
be revised when necessary to ensure that the in-service training
programs provide the most current information.
(h) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year and every three
(3) years thereafter, each school district shall provide, as
part of the school district's in-service training, programs
based upon the instruction requirements established under this
section for all instructors whose teaching responsibilities
include courses of study in which such mandated instruction is
integrated. To comply with this requirement, a school district
may utilize the in-service training programs made available
under subsection (g).
(i) 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" shall mean the Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"School entity" shall mean a school district, joint school
district, charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter
school, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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