Senate Education Committee Advances Bipartisan Bills

HARRISBURG - The Senate Education Committee met today and advanced three bills with bipartisan support.

Senate Bill 1176, sponsored by Sen. Cris Dush (R-25), would require schools and the PIAA to accept cash for admission at school-sponsored activities. Dush cited stories of cash-carrying seniors being turned away from high school sporting events that required electronic payment.

House Bill 1990, sponsored by Rep. Carol Kazeem (D-159), would require seizure recognition and related first aid training for school nurses and professional employees every two years.

House Bill 2383, sponsored by Rep. Jared Solomon (D-202), would create a mentor volunteer program for schools. It would connect high school students with older adults looking to share their professional skills and knowledge. Schools would be required to vet all adults interested in becoming mentors.

As the 2023-24 legislative session draws to a close, Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) reflected on the accomplishments of the committee under his leadership.

"I'm proud of everything we have accomplished in a bipartisan fashion to better prepare our students for the future," said Argall. "Our institutions of higher education will now be much better prepared for the challenges ahead. We invested in career and technical schools, like Thaddeus Stephens School of Technology and Penn College of Technology. We began addressing the impact of cell phones in schools. And we have taken steps to address the teacher shortages plaguing parts of Pennsylvania."

CONTACT: Jim Brugger