HB 2375 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in charter schools, further providing for definitions, for charter school requirements, for establishment of charter school, for causes for nonrenewal or termination, for powers and duties of department, for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions and for establishment of cyber charter school; and, in the State Board of Education, further providing for powers and duties of the board.

PRINTER'S NO.   3180

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2375
                                               Session of
                                                 2026

     INTRODUCED BY RIVERA, VENKAT, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI, DONAHUE,
        SANCHEZ, INGLIS, D. WILLIAMS, FRANKEL, CIRESI, CEPEDA-
        FREYTIZ, BRENNAN, MAZZOCCO, SHUSTERMAN, GUENST AND PROBST,
        APRIL 13, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 14, 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 charter schools, further providing
 6      for definitions, for charter school requirements, for
 7      establishment of charter school, for causes for nonrenewal or
 8      termination, for powers and duties of department, for cyber
 9      charter school requirements and prohibitions and for
10      establishment of cyber charter school; and, in the State
11      Board of Education, further providing for powers and duties
12      of the board.
13      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14   hereby enacts as follows:
15      Section 1.    Section 1703-A of the act of March 10, 1949
16   (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
17   amended by adding a definition to read:
18      Section 1703-A.    Definitions.--The following words and
19   phrases when used in this article shall have the meanings given
20   to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates
21   otherwise:
22      * * *
 1         "Artificial intelligence" shall mean a machine-based system
 2   that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make
 3   predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or
 4   virtual environments. Systems use machine and human-based inputs
 5   to:
 6         (1)    perceive real and virtual environments;
 7         (2)    abstract perceptions into models through analysis in an
 8   automated manner; and
 9         (3)    use model inference to formulate options for information
10   or action.
11         * * *
12         Section 2.    Section 1715-A(a) of the act is amended by adding
13   a paragraph to read:
14         Section 1715-A.    Charter School Requirements.--(a)   Charter
15   schools shall be required to comply with the following
16   provisions:
17         * * *
18         (13)    A charter school may not adopt an instructional model
19   that relies on artificial intelligence instead of professional
20   employes to provide direct instruction to students.
21         * * *
22         Section 3.    Section 1717-A(c) of the act is amended to read:
23         Section 1717-A.    Establishment of Charter School.--* * *
24         (c)    (1)   An application to establish a charter school shall
25   be submitted to the local board of school directors of the
26   district where the charter school will be located by November 15
27   of the school year preceding the school year in which the
28   charter school will be established except that for a charter
29   school beginning in the 1997-1998 school year, an application
30   must be received by July 15, 1997. In the 1997-1998 school year

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 1   only, applications shall be limited to recipients of fiscal year
 2   1996-1997 Department of Education charter school planning
 3   grants.
 4      (2)    A local board of school directors may not consider or
 5   accept an application to establish a charter school with an
 6   instructional model that relies on artificial intelligence
 7   instead of professional employes to provide direct instruction
 8   to students.
 9      (3)    The refusal by a local board of school directors to
10   consider or accept an application based on an instructional
11   model that relies on artificial intelligence shall not be
12   subject to appeal to the appeal board.
13      * * *
14      Section 4.     Section 1729-A(a) of the act is amended by adding
15   a paragraph to read:
16      Section 1729-A.     Causes for Nonrenewal or Termination.--(a)
17   During the term of the charter or at the end of the term of the
18   charter, the local board of school directors may choose to
19   revoke or not to renew the charter based on any of the
20   following:
21      * * *
22      (7)    Adoption of an instructional model that relies on
23   artificial intelligence instead of professional employes to
24   provide direct instruction to students.
25      * * *
26      Section 5.     Section 1741-A(a)(1) and (3)(ii) of the act are
27   amended to read:
28   Section 1741-A.     Powers and duties of department.
29      (a)    Powers and duties.--The department shall:
30             (1)   The following:

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 1              (i)     Receive, review and act on applications for the
 2        creation of a cyber charter school and have the power to
 3        request further information from applicants, obtain input
 4        from interested persons or entities and hold hearings
 5        regarding applications.
 6              (ii)    The department may not consider or accept an
 7        application to establish a cyber charter school with an
 8        instructional model that relies on artificial
 9        intelligence instead of professional employees to provide
10        direct instruction to students. The department's refusal
11        to consider or accept an application under this
12        subparagraph shall not be subject to appeal to the appeal
13        board.
14        * * *
15        (3)   Revoke or deny renewal of a cyber charter school's
16    charter under the provisions of section 1729-A.
17              * * *
18              (ii)    Notwithstanding any laws to the contrary, the
19        department may, after notice and hearing, take immediate
20        action to revoke a charter if:
21                     (A)   a material component of the student's
22              education as required under this subdivision is not
23              being provided; [or]
24                     (B)   the cyber charter school has failed to
25              maintain the financial ability to provide services as
26              required under this subdivision[.]; or
27                     (C)   the cyber charter school has adopted an
28              instructional model that relies on artificial
29              intelligence instead of professional employees to
30              provide direct instruction to students.

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 1            * * *
 2      Section 6.     Section 1743-A of the act is amended by adding a
 3   subsection to read:
 4   Section 1743-A.    Cyber charter school requirements and
 5                prohibitions.
 6      * * *
 7      (j)   Prohibited use of artificial intelligence.--A cyber
 8   charter school may not adopt an instructional model that relies
 9   on artificial intelligence instead of professional employees to
10   provide direct instruction to students.
11      Section 7.     Section 1745-A(d) of the act is amended to read:
12   Section 1745-A.    Establishment of cyber charter school.
13      * * *
14      (d)   Application.--An application to establish a cyber
15   charter school shall be submitted to the department by October 1
16   of the school year preceding the school year in which the cyber
17   charter school proposes to commence operation. The department
18   may not consider or accept an application to establish a cyber
19   charter school with an instructional model that relies on
20   artificial intelligence instead of professional employees to
21   provide direct instruction to students. The department's refusal
22   to accept or consider an application based on an instructional
23   model that relies on artificial intelligence shall not be
24   subject to appeal to the appeal board.
25      * * *
26      Section 8.     Section 2603-B of the act is amended by adding a
27   subsection to read:
28      Section 2603-B.    Powers and Duties of the Board.--* * *
29      (l)   The board shall promulgate regulations to prohibit a
30   public school entity from using an instructional model that

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1   relies on artificial intelligence instead of professional
2   employes to provide direct instruction to students. For purposes
3   of this subsection, the term "artificial intelligence" shall
4   mean the same as under section 1703-A.
5      Section 9.   This act shall take effect immediately.




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