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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2091 PRINTER'S NO. 2877
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1706
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY DALEY, SANCHEZ, GIRAL, SCHLOSSBERG, MALAGARI,
HOHENSTEIN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HILL-EVANS, HOWARD, KHAN, OTTEN,
KENYATTA, DEASY, CERRATO, GREEN AND STEELE, JULY 7, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 4, 2026
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 school health services, providing
for student mental health awareness.
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 1426. Student Mental Health Awareness.--(a) The
State Board of Education shall review the existing State
standards for health, safety and physical education at 22 Pa.
Code Ch. 4 (relating to academic standards and assessment) and
revise the standards as necessary to address student mental
health awareness.
(b) The Department of Health and the Department of Education
shall develop and post on their publicly accessible Internet
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websites SECTION 1426. STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS.--(A)
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, SHALL DEVELOP
AND POST ON ITS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE, guidelines
and other relevant materials to inform and educate students
participating in or desiring to participate in an athletic
activity , their parents or guardians and their coaches about the
nature and warning signs of mental health distress, mental
health illness and related issues. In developing the guidelines
and materials, the Department of Health and the Department of
Education EDUCATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE DEPARTMENT
OF HUMAN SERVICES may utilize existing materials developed by
mental health organizations.
(c) (B) A school entity shall notify its students, their
parents or guardians, athletic staff COACHES and extracurricular
advisors twice each school year of mental health services
available within the school entity or the community in which the
school entity is located AND COMMUNITY-BASED REFERRAL PARTNERS
THAT CAN ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES and how students and their parents or guardians may
access the services.
(d) If a student is injured (C) IF A STUDENT IS HABITUALLY
TRUANT AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1326, DEMONSTRATES AN OBSERVABLE
CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR or suddenly stops attending a school-
sponsored athletic or extracurricular activity WITHOUT
EXPLANATION , the school entity of the student shall notify the
school entity's REFER THE STUDENT TO THE SCHOOL ENTITY'S STUDENT
assistance program, subject to the requirements of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 90-247,
20 U.S.C. § 1232g). Upon notification, the school entity's
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student assistance program shall, at a minimum, provide the
student's parents or guardians with information on mental health
services identified under subsection (c). The Department of
Education may by rule establish the time period between the
injury or nonattendance and the notification to the student
assistance program under this section. REFERRAL BY THE STUDENT'S
SCHOOL ENTITY UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE MADE TO THE STUDENT
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITHIN FOURTEEN (14) CALENDAR DAYS FROM THE
DATE THE SCHOOL ENTITY IS AWARE OF THE HABITUAL TRUANCY,
OBSERVABLE CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR OR SUDDEN NONATTENDANCE AT A
SCHOOL-SPONSORED ATHLETIC OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY WITHOUT
EXPLANATION.
(e) (D) Not later than ninety (90) days after the effective
date of this section, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association shall review the existing coaching education
requirements for coaches engaged at a member school and revise
the required educational courses for training of coaches to
include student mental health awareness beginning in the 2025-
2026 2027 -2028 school year. The training under this subsection:
(1) Shall, at a minimum, incorporate the training standards
adopted by the School Safety and Security Committee under
section 1310-B(b). STANDARDS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION 1310-B(A)
(1).
(2) May be credited toward a professional educator's
continuing professional education requirements under section
1205.2 and a school or system leader's continuing professional
education requirement under section 1205.5.
(f) (E) 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:
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"School entity" means a school district, charter school,
regional charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit
or area career and technical school.
"Student assistance program" means as defined in 22 Pa. Code
§ 12.16 (relating to definitions).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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