HB 2176 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for social media literacy education.

PRINTER'S NO.    2826

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2176
                                                Session of
                                                  2026

     INTRODUCED BY PROKOPIAK, FREEMAN, HILL-EVANS, BRENNAN, HANBIDGE,
        GIRAL, MAYES, SANCHEZ, BOROWSKI, INGLIS AND SHUSTERMAN,
        JANUARY 30, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 30, 2026


                                     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 terms and courses of study,
 6      providing for social media literacy education.
 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 1556.    Social Media Literacy Education.--(a)   The
13   standards adopted by the State Board of Education in accordance
14   with 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 (relating to academic standards and
15   assessment) shall include:
16      (1)     The effects of social media and mobile device usage on
17   students, including potential mental, psychological and physical
18   impacts.
19      (2)     The potential impacts of social media and mobile device
 1   usage on academic growth and learning.
 2      (3)   How to use social media safely, including how to
 3   identify suspicious online behavior such as cyberbullying,
 4   predatory behavior and potential human trafficking.
 5      (4)   How to maintain personal security on mobile devices.
 6      (b)   The State Board of Education may review the existing
 7   State standards for health, safety and physical education, as
 8   specified in 22 Pa. Code Ch. 4 to revise the standards as
 9   necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
10      (c)   The department shall:
11      (1)   Develop and make available to school entities and
12   nonpublic schools materials on social media literacy.
13      (2)   Make available social media literacy programming in the
14   continuing professional education hours developed in accordance
15   with section 1205.2(f).
16      (d)   Nothing in this section shall supersede or preempt any
17   provision of a collective bargaining agreement between a school
18   entity and an employe organization.
19      (e)   As used in this section, the following words and phrases
20   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
21   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
22      "Department" shall mean the Department of Education of the
23   Commonwealth.
24      "Nonpublic school" shall mean a nonprofit school, other than
25   a public school located within this Commonwealth, in which a
26   resident of this Commonwealth may legally fulfill the compulsory
27   school attendance requirements of this act and that meets the
28   requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public
29   Law 88-352, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.).
30      "School entity" shall mean a school district, intermediate

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1   unit, area career and technical school, charter school, regional
2   charter school or cyber charter school operating in this
3   Commonwealth.
4      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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