Education Committee 09/26/06

The Senate Education Committee met on Tuesday, September 26,  2006,  and took the following action:

Reported Out as Amended (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 71 pn 61 (Greenleaf)  The bill relates to the Office of Safe Schools and requires the establishment of policies
relating bullying.

A09442 (C. Williams)  New language added to the bill that would require schools to establish a bullying policy with more
stringent requirements than the original bill.  Unanimous Vote

Senate Bill 1332 pn 2071 (Conti)  The bill amends the Public School Code relating to school health services, definitions
and for certain medical examinations. A09453 (Rhoades)  Changes timelines for physical and dental examinations. 
Unanimous Vote

Education Committee 06/21/06

The Senate Education Committee met on Wednesday, June 21, 2006,  and took the following action:

Reported Out as Amended

Senate Bill 1147 pn 1614 (Rhoades)  The legislation establishes a state-wide system through which students at publicly supported colleges and universities can transfer credits earned in certain approved courses.  Committee Vote:  9-1  A08309 (Rhoades) Deletes provisions of the bill and inserts new language for the same purpose. Amendment Vote:  9-1

Senate Resolution 208 pn 1447 (Wozniak)  The resolution directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study
the cost-effectiveness of consolidating school districts in this Commonwealth.  Committee Vote:  Unanimous  A07951
(Rhoades)  Adds a request for the study to include the cost-effectiveness of having all schools in the same county as a
district or in the same intermediate unit as a district. Amendment Vote:  Unanimous

Education Committee 03/14/06

The Senate Education Committee met on Tuesday, March 14, 2006,  and took the following action:

Reported Out as Amended

House Bill 185 pn 2277 (Stairs) - The legislation amends the Public School Code providing for contracts for competitive food
and beverage contracts, the establishment of nutritional guidelines for foods sold in public schools, for advisory health
councils, for local wellness policies and for physical education curricula.  A6390 (Rhoades) The amendment gutted the
language and rewrote the provisions of the legislation.  Amendment Vote:  10-1   Committee Vote:  10-1

House Bill 1618 pn 3334 (Fairchild)  - The legislation amends the Public School Code to allow children with disabilities to participate in graduation ceremonies after completing a special education program even if their individualized education
program prescribes continued education after the fourth year of high school.  A6251 (Rhoades) Adds Charter and Vocational schools to the provisions of the bill.  Amendment Vote:  11-0  Committee Vote:  11-0

Education Committee 10/25/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Tuesday, October 25, 2005,  and took the following action:

Reported Out as Amended (unanimously)

SB 414 pn 439 (Robbins)   The bill amends the Public School Code establishing the Science Technology Partnership
Program and authorizing the creation of science technology partnerships between institutions of basic and higher education. A03230 (Rhoades) Institutions may subcontract with a nonprofit organization in order to implement a partnership. 
(Unanimous Amendment Vote)

Reported Out as Amended

SB 676 pn 802 (Conti)   The legislation amends the Public School Code relating to school health services, health
examinations, and the minimum ratio of students to school nurses.

Education Committee 6/28/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Tuesday, June 28,  2005,  and took the following action:

Reported Out as Committed (unanimously)

House Bill 1304 pn 1548 (Stevenson)   The legislation extends the authority of the State Librarian to waive certain
mandates
upon request of a local library to June 30, 2006.

Education Committee 6/22/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Wednesday, June 22, 2005,  and took the following action:

Reported Out of Committee as Amended

Senate Bill 297 pn 303 (Rhoades)   The bill amends the Public School Code to authorize intermediate units to establish a
pool of
educational advisors for certain school districts and further providing for charter school funding. A02000 (Rhoades)  Adds
language that provides cyber and charter schools with direct payment from the Department of Education.  Amendment Vote
and Committee
Action Vote:  7-4

Education Committee 6/14/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Wednesday, June 14, 2005,  and took the following action:

Reported Out of Committee as Amended

House Bill 628 pn 701 (Schroder)   The Public School Code is amended to require that a school district’s proposed budget
be prepared on the standard form of the Department of Education and that the budget includes line-item expenditures.  The
bill further requires that the budget be available for public inspection to all persons and available for duplication for a
reasonable, prevailing duplication charge. Unanimous Vote.  A01715 (Rhoades) Removes language to make the bill identical
to SB 672, which bill was reported out of the Education Committee on June 8, 2005. Unanimous Vote.

Senate Bill 511 pn 629 (Gordner)   The legislation amends the Job Enhancement Act of 1996 to allow master’s degree
students to participate in the Technology Work Experience Internship Program.  Courses approved under the program for
undergraduate students would be the same as currently utilized under the New Economy Technology Scholarship Act.
Unanimous Vote.  A01182 (Rhoades)  Emerging technology companies must meet certain criteria and adhere to the
requirements of the agency.  Unanimous Vote.

Education Committee 6/8/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Wednesday, June 8, 2005,  and took the following action:

Out as Committed
 

Senate Bill 458 pn 491 (Senator M. White)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to require the school district

of residence of an adjudicated student to pay a school district that contracts for the delivery of alternative education services

in the same manner as current law requires payment for school district that provides such alternative services directly.

Unanimous Vote.

Senate Bill 652, pn 749 (Senator Wenger)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to clarify that

school districts that receive grant funding through the educational assistance program or the accountability block

grant program may utilize such funds for tutoring programs offered to eligible students during the school day. Unanimous Vote.

Senate Bill 361 pn 366 (Senator Regola)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to require

school districts to provide access to extracurricular activities for students enrolled in home education programs. 

Vote:  7-4.

Out as Amended

Senate Bill 672 pn 799 (Senator Rafferty)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to require that school districts
adopt their proposed budgets to include line-item appropriations, that school districts make such proposed budgets available
for duplication and that a summary offense be levied against a school board member or school employee who violates these
requirements.  A01443 (Rhoades) Requires that the subsidy be held if the provisions of this law are not met.  Amendment
Vote: Unanimous.  On reporting the bill:  Vote:  Unanimous.

House Bill 894 pn 1963 (Representative Saylor)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to provide retired

professional educators who return to school service 180 days in which certain continuing professional education requirements do not
apply.

Education Committee 5/11/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Wednesday, May 11  2005,  and took the following action:

Out as Committed (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 413 pn 438 (Rhoades)   The legislation would create the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Staff 
Member Loan Forgiveness Program and the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor Loan Forgiveness Program.

Senate Bill 651 pn 748 (Rhoades)   The legislation extends the authority of the State Librarian to waive certain mandates 
upon the request of a local library.

Senate Bill 679 pn 781 (Musto)   The legislation provides for a limited grace period for certain professional educators who 
have not complied with their continuing professional education requirements.  

Out as Amended (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 150 pn 136 (Brightbill)   The legislation provides that school entities that establish concurrent enrollment 
programsunder this act would be eligible for state grants to support the programs and defray any tuition costs charged by 
the post-secondary institution to concurrent students. A01150 (Rhoades)  removes all language in the bill and rewrites the 
provisions – Unanimous   
A01173 (Tomlinson)   adds nonpublic schools to the provisions of the legislation – Vote: 9-1

Senate Bill 686 pn 782 (Erickson)   The legislation clarifies certain provisions relating to the payment and auditing of 
approved private schools and chartered schools for the deaf and blind.  A01167 (Rhoades)   Technical amendment – 
Unanimous

Education Committee 4/13/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Wednesday, April 13, 2005,  and took the following action:

Out as Committed (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 390 pn 398 (Rhoades)   The bill amends the Public School Code to provide for a
 program of continuing professional development.

Senate Bill 417 pn 441 (Musto)   The bill amends the Public School Code to provide for 
reimbursable rental for leases and reimbursable sinking fund charges on indebtedness.

Out as Amended

Senate Bill 507 pn 540 (Piccola)   The bill amends the Public School Code to provide for the
scholarship organization educational improvement tax credit programs. A00772 and A00802 were 
both offered by Senator C. Williams.  Both amendments would add additional reporting requirement
s to provide greater accountability.  The amendments failed on a party line vote of 4-7.  

Technical Amendment A00795 (Piccola)   was unanimously passed.  The bill was reported out of 
committee, as technically amended, by a vote of 10-1.

Education Committee 3/16/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Wednesday, March 16,  2005,  and took the following action:

Out as Committed (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 151 pn 137 (Brightbill)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to require more
specific information to be included on the State and School Reports as it relates to the performance of
students who have been enrolled in a school for less than two years, students who are classified as Limited English
Proficient,  and students with disabilities. Vote:  9-0

Senate Bill 327 pn 339 (Gordner)   The legislation  amends the Public School Code to allow school districts to be
reimbursed for the costs of the two first-class mailings required in the 2004-2005 fiscal year as a result of  passage of the Homeowner Tax Relief Act.   To receive reimbursement, the school district would provide the Department of Education with a notarized statement certifying the number of notices mailed.  The Department would provide the school district with a reimbursement equal to the number of notices sent multiplied by the first-class postage rate.  Vote:  9-0

Education Committee 2/8/05

The Senate Education Committee met on  Tuesday,  February 8,  2005,  and took the following
action:

Out as Committed (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 143, pn 130 (Rhoades)   The bill amends the Public School Code to establish 

parental involvement programs, parental involvement policies and parental involvement committees in school districts.  

Vote:  11-0

Education Committee 2/2/05

The Senate Education Committee met on Wednesday, February 2, 2005,  and took the following action:

Out as Committed (Unanimously)

Senate Bill 146 pn 131 (Rhoades)   The legislation amends the Public School Code to direct intermediate units to
coordinate academic programs for school districts and to establish academic improvement teams for school districts. Vote: 
11-0

Senate Bill 147 pn 132 (Rhoades)   The bill amends the Public School Code to require the Department of Education to
provide technical assistance to certain schools upon request. Vote:  11-0

Senate Bill 148 pn 133 (Rhoades)   The bill amends the Public School Code to require that certain school districts revise
their professional education plans and to require the Department of Education to create a clearinghouse of continuing professional education programs. Vote:  11-0