HB 1706 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school health services, providing for student mental health awareness.

PRINTER'S NO.     2091

                     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 AND GREEN, JULY 7, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JULY 7, 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 school health services, providing
 6      for student mental health awareness.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11   section to read:
12      Section 1426.    Student Mental Health Awareness.--(a)   The
13   State Board of Education shall review the existing State
14   standards for health, safety and physical education at 22 Pa.
15   Code Ch. 4 (relating to academic standards and assessment) and
16   revise the standards as necessary to address student mental
17   health awareness.
18      (b)   The Department of Health and the Department of Education
19   shall develop and post on their publicly accessible Internet
 1   websites guidelines and other relevant materials to inform and
 2   educate students participating in or desiring to participate in
 3   an athletic activity, their parents or guardians and their
 4   coaches about the nature and warning signs of mental health
 5   distress, mental health illness and related issues. In
 6   developing the guidelines and materials, the Department of
 7   Health and the Department of Education may utilize existing
 8   materials developed by mental health organizations.
 9      (c)   A school entity shall notify its students, their parents
10   or guardians, athletic staff and extracurricular advisors twice
11   each school year of mental health services available within the
12   school entity or the community in which the school entity is
13   located and how students and their parents or guardians may
14   access the services.
15      (d)   If a student is injured or suddenly stops attending a
16   school-sponsored athletic or extracurricular activity, the
17   school entity of the student shall notify the school entity's
18   assistance program, subject to the requirements of the Family
19   Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 90-247,
20   20 U.S.C. § 1232g). Upon notification, the school entity's
21   student assistance program shall, at a minimum, provide the
22   student's parents or guardians with information on mental health
23   services identified under subsection (c). The Department of
24   Education may by rule establish the time period between the
25   injury or nonattendance and the notification to the student
26   assistance program under this section.
27      (e)   Not later than ninety (90) days after the effective date
28   of this section, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
29   Association shall review the existing coaching education
30   requirements for coaches engaged at a member school and revise

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 1   the required educational courses for training of coaches to
 2   include student mental health awareness beginning in the 2025-
 3   2026 school year. The training under this subsection:
 4      (1)   Shall, at a minimum, incorporate the training standards
 5   adopted by the School Safety and Security Committee under
 6   section 1310-B(b).
 7      (2)   May be credited toward a professional educator's
 8   continuing professional education requirements under section
 9   1205.2 and a school or system leader's continuing professional
10   education requirement under section 1205.5.
11      (f)   As used in this section, the following words and phrases
12   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
13   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "School entity" means a school district, charter school,
15   regional charter school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit
16   or area career and technical school.
17      "Student assistance program" means as defined in 22 Pa. Code
18   § 12.16 (relating to definitions).
19      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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