HB 1326 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in pupils and attendance, further providing for computation of distances; and, in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, providing for pupil transportation data.

PRINTER'S NO.   1518

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1326
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY FRIEL, SCHLEGEL, CERRATO, HILL-EVANS, DONAHUE,
        SANCHEZ, MAYES, OTTEN, McNEILL, MALAGARI, K.HARRIS AND
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, APRIL 28, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 28, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," in pupils and attendance, further
 6      providing for when transportation provided and for
 7      computation of distances; and, in reimbursements by
 8      Commonwealth and between school districts, providing for
 9      pupil transportation data.
10      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11   hereby enacts as follows:
12      Section 1.    Sections 1361(1) and 1366 of the act of March 10,
13   1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
14   are amended to read:
15      Section 1361.    When Provided.--(1)   The board of school
16   directors in any school district may, out of the funds of the
17   district, provide for the free transportation of any resident
18   pupil to and from the kindergarten, elementary school, or
19   secondary school in which he is lawfully enrolled, provided that
20   such school is not operated for profit and is either located
21   within the district boundaries or located within this
 1   Commonwealth but outside the district boundaries at a distance
 2   not exceeding ten miles by the nearest public highway, except
 3   that such ten-mile limit shall not apply to area career and
 4   technical schools which regularly serve eligible district pupils
 5   or to special schools and classes approved by the Department of
 6   Education, and to and from any points within or without the
 7   Commonwealth in order to provide field trips for any purpose
 8   connected with the educational pursuits of the pupils. When
 9   provision is made by a board of school directors for the
10   transportation of public school pupils to and from such schools
11   or to and from any points within or without the Commonwealth in
12   order to provide field trips as herein provided, the board of
13   school directors shall also make identical provision for the
14   free transportation of pupils who regularly attend nonpublic
15   kindergarten, elementary and high schools not operated for
16   profit to and from such schools or to and from any points within
17   or without the Commonwealth in order to provide field trips as
18   herein provided. Such transportation of pupils attending
19   nonpublic schools shall be provided during regular school hours
20   on such dates and periods that the nonpublic school not operated
21   for profit is in regular session, according to the school
22   calendar officially adopted by the directors of the same in
23   accordance with provisions of law. The board of school directors
24   shall provide such transportation whenever so required by any of
25   the provisions of this act or of any other act of Assembly.
26      * * *
27      Section 1366.   Computation of Distances.--Where, by the terms
28   of this act, or any other act, any distance is specified between
29   the residence of any pupil and any public school to be attended
30   by him, or any transportation is provided for within or beyond

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 1   any particular distance, in computing such distance no allowance
 2   shall be made for the distance that the dwelling house of the
 3   pupil is situated off the public highway. All such distances
 4   shall be computed by the public highway from the nearest point
 5   where a private way or private road connects the dwelling house
 6   of the pupil with the highway to the nearest point where said
 7   highway touches the school grounds of the school to which the
 8   pupil has been assigned. The computation of distances may be
 9   made utilizing technology capable of accurate measurements of
10   distances. The Department of Education may not require manual
11   recording for distance reporting.
12      Section 2.    The act is amended by adding a section to read:
13      Section 2541.1.    Pupil Transportation Data.--(a)    Beginning
14   with the information reported for the 2025-2026 school year and
15   each school year thereafter, each school entity entitled to
16   reimbursement on account of pupil transportation shall provide
17   in a format prescribed by the Department of Education, the
18   following data pertaining to pupil transportation:
19      (1)    For students enrolled in the school entity and eligible
20   to receive free pupil transportation services from the school
21   entity:
22      (i)    The total number of students receiving pupil
23   transportation services from the school entity.
24      (ii)    The total number of students experiencing homelessness
25   as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Public
26   Law 100-77, 101 Stat. 482) and as determined by the school
27   entity.
28      (2)    For each vehicle, an indicator of whether the vehicle
29   was used to provide extraordinary transportation established in
30   direct response to the severe health needs of the individual

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 1   student.
 2      (3)     For students enrolled in a charter school and eligible
 3   to receive free pupil transportation services from the school
 4   entity:
 5      (i)     The total number of students receiving pupil
 6   transportation services from the school entity.
 7      (ii)     The total number of students experiencing homelessness
 8   as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and as
 9   determined by the school entity.
10      (iii)     The school entity's pupil transportation expenditures
11   related to students enrolled in a charter school and receiving
12   pupil transportation services from the school entity. The
13   Department of Education shall provide guidance for school
14   entities on how to either track the actual costs to transport
15   charter school students or determine a method of allocating a
16   portion of the total transportation costs applicable to the
17   transportation of charter school students.
18      (4)     For students enrolled in a nonpublic school and eligible
19   to receive free pupil transportation services from the school
20   entity:
21      (i)     The total number of students receiving pupil
22   transportation services from the school entity.
23      (ii)     The total number of students experiencing homelessness
24   as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and as
25   determined by the school entity.
26      (iii)     The school entity's pupil transportation expenditures
27   related to students enrolled in a nonpublic school and receiving
28   pupil transportation services from the school entity. The
29   Department of Education shall provide guidance for school
30   entities on how to either track the actual costs to transport

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 1   nonpublic school students or determine a method of allocating a
 2   portion of the total transportation costs applicable to the
 3   transportation of nonpublic school students.
 4      (5)     For students enrolled in the school entity, nonpublic
 5   school or charter school and ineligible for reimbursement for
 6   pupil transportation services but receive pupil transportation
 7   services from the school entity:
 8      (i)     The total number of students receiving pupil
 9   transportation services from the school entity.
10      (ii)     The school entity's pupil transportation expenditures
11   related to students enrolled in the school entity, nonpublic
12   school or charter school and ineligible to receive free pupil
13   transportation services from the school entity but are receiving
14   pupil transportation services from the school entity. The
15   Department of Education shall provide guidance for school
16   entities on how to either track the actual costs to transport
17   ineligible students or determine a method of allocating a
18   portion of the total transportation costs applicable to the
19   transportation of ineligible students.
20      (b)     Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and each school
21   year thereafter, each school entity entitled to reimbursement on
22   account of pupil transportation shall provide in a format and
23   uniform standard prescribed by the Department of Education, a
24   detailed breakdown of pupil transportation expenditures as
25   follows:
26      (1)     For the expenditures reported under subsection (a)(3)
27   (iii):
28      (i)     The name of each charter school to which a school entity
29   transported resident students.
30      (ii)     The number of charter school students the school entity

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 1   transported to each charter school listed under subparagraph
 2   (i).
 3      (iii)    The transportation expenditures applicable to each
 4   charter school listed under subparagraph (i).
 5      (2)    For the expenditures reported under subsection (a)(4)
 6   (iii):
 7      (i)    The name of each nonpublic school to which a school
 8   entity transported resident students.
 9      (ii)    The number of nonpublic school students the school
10   entity transported to each nonpublic school listed under
11   subparagraph (i).
12      (iii)    The transportation expenditures applicable to each
13   nonpublic school listed under subparagraph (i).
14      (c)    The Department of Education shall annually post on its
15   publicly accessible Internet website the information and data
16   collected under this section.
17      (d)    The Department of Education shall notify the chairman
18   and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the
19   Senate, the chairman and minority chairman of the Appropriations
20   Committee of the House of Representatives, the chairman and
21   minority chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate and
22   the chairman and minority chairman of the Education Committee of
23   the House of Representatives when the information is posted
24   under subsection (c).
25      Section 3.    Any regulation inconsistent with the amendment or
26   addition of sections 1366 and 2541.1 of the act is abrogated to
27   the extent of the inconsistency.
28      Section 4.    This act shall take effect July 1, 2025, or
29   immediately, whichever is later.



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