An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in grounds and buildings, providing for temperature control standards.

PRINTER'S NO. 1395
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1246
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, WAXMAN, HOWARD, MAYES, SANCHEZ, HILL-
EVANS, MADDEN, D. WILLIAMS, RUSNOCK, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, STEELE,
K.HARRIS AND MERSKI, APRIL 17, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 17, 2025
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 grounds and buildings, providing
for temperature control standards.
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 743. Temperature Control Standards.--(a) A school
entity shall maintain a temperature-controlled environment that
is conducive to learning in the school entity's facilities by:
(1) To the greatest extent possible, maintaining room
temperatures within the target range of sixty-eight (68) degrees
Fahrenheit to seventy-nine (79) degrees Fahrenheit in all
occupied areas of a facility.
(2) Measuring the temperature of an occupied area of a
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facility when a temperature outside the target range is
suspected, which measurement shall be taken in the area where
the greatest temperature extreme is expected to occur.
(3) Relocating students and staff from an occupied area with
a recorded temperature below sixty-three (63) degrees Fahrenheit
or above eighty-nine (89) degrees Fahrenheit within two (2)
hours of the temperature measurement.
(4) Reporting a temperature-related relocation within
twenty-four (24) hours to the Department of Environmental
Protection in a manner determined by the Department of
Environmental Protection.
(b) The Department of Environmental Protection shall conduct
an inspection of a school entity's facility from which students
and staff were relocated more than four (4) times in a school
year under subsection (a) to ensure that the facility meets
state indoor air quality standards.
(c) A school entity shall review and implement, to the
extent feasible and appropriate and to the extent permitted by
local building and fire codes, temperature control measures,
including:
(1) Short term measures for excessive cold weather, such as
using portable space heaters, relocating students to areas of a
school entity's facility at or above sixty-three (63) degrees
Fahrenheit and increasing access to sunlight.
(2) Long term measures for excessive cold weather, such as
the installation of permanent heating equipment and energy-
efficient windows, using programmable thermostats and enhancing
the maintenance of heating equipment.
(d) As used in this section, the term "school entity" means
a school district, charter school, regional charter school,
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intermediate unit or area career and technical school operating
within this Commonwealth.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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